


The Work of a God

by AtheistGamer



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M, Plenty of swearing, antagonist trying to create a world of justice, condescending gods, girl who's kinda a bitch but lovable, multiple bruh moments, overly innocent Oshawott, relatively normal dude thrust into a universe threatening situation, some sexual themes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-12
Updated: 2020-12-03
Packaged: 2021-01-29 17:22:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 29
Words: 78,210
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21413863
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AtheistGamer/pseuds/AtheistGamer
Summary: Welcome to the world of TWoaG! Join Marcus, recently chosen by Reshiram, as he works with other Legendaries and their human allies to stop Giratina and his Alolan friend from overthrowing Arceus and remaking the universe. Will contain sexual themes, copious swearing, and plenty of godly beings. Updates whenever.
Relationships: Reshiram/Zekrom, more relationships later - Relationship
Comments: 44
Kudos: 16





	1. Prologue: Birth of a Devil's Advocate

**Author's Note:**

> NOTE: This is transferred from Fanfiction.net. Chapters 1-14 will be posted here immediately, then will update as normal.
> 
> I'd like to say that this story deviates heavily from Pokemon canon. You'll see shit like fusions, powers not present in the home series' Pokemon, ect.
> 
> Also, if you find something here you don't like, leave a comment and I might fix it, depending on how much it will impact the story. I'm open to some slight fan direction, as long as it doesn't affect the core plot.
> 
> Sorry for any potentially weird formatting. FF.net doesn't like this transfer for some reason.
> 
> Anyways, I hope you enjoy. I will see you at the bottom of Chapter 14, so don't expect any notes while I get this posted. Afterwards, the fic will update regularly.
> 
> EDIT: I am currently editing this to make it third person. This should be done before the weekend is out. I will also be correcting any grammar or spelling issues I find.

_Wonderful._

_I dedicate my heart and soul to these godly beings, and this is the thanks I get!?_ _I spend my whole life studying the Legendaries, infatuated with their godly power. I wanted to help protect them, to protect the universe. When that time came, I poured my life into it._

_Then they discarded me like I was nothing more than a pawn in a cosmic game of chess._

_Now, it was my job to make things right in this world. I knew I'd need an unorthodox god to help me. Ah yes, The Forbidden One. Ancient tales speak of him and his deeds, apparently deeds so vile that it warranted Arceus himself to cast him out of the universe. They wouldn't believe what I had to go through to get info on how to summon this thing, but I managed to get my hands on a book that told me how to do just that._

_I walked home, carrying the book tightly. This was my one opportunity to fix everything, so I treated it like my own child. The night breeze was strong that night, and I began to wonder if it was because of the book I held in my arms, with its otherworldly powers. Disregarding this, I entered my sub par home. All my years of service, and those fuckers couldn't even give me a decent living space. I walked into my living room and put the book on my table. I went to my room to fetch a red piece chalk and candles, as these were required for the ritual._

_I walked back to my living room and put the materials on the table. I grabbed the book and opened the book to the chapter reading "Summoning The Forbidden One" and began to follow the instructions of the ritual. I drew his symbol, a pyramid as viewed from the top. I placed the candles on the points of the pyramid and lit them. I turned off the lights and sat outside of the pyramid. Now all I had to do was state my reason for summoning._

"_The Forbidden One, I am calling to you. Arceus has failed me, as he has failed you. I think it's time that we give this universe a god that it deserves, one who will create a universe of equality, a universe of justice, and a universe of punishment for all who deserve it," I said._

_The symbol glowed red, and darkness began to spread through it. I could see two red eyes manifest themselves in that darkness, and a draconian body began to take shape as the mass slowly climbed out of the darkness, frantically trying to escape it's prison. Darkness dripped from his body, as he struggled to maintain his shape. However, he seemed to get a grip on his form as he continued to enter this world. I couldn't help but grin wildly as he clambered out of the darkness and into my living room. His beady red eyes examined my shitty living room. Everything seemed to be unfamiliar to him, and he spent long moments examining everything from my framed pictures, to the designs of my carpet. When he seemed to have satisfied his curiosity, he turned to me. He looked me up, examining me with interest. Then, he spoke to me._

"_**How long has it been since I've entered this world?**_" _He asked in a deep, godly voice._

"_I take it you heard my call?" I asked, getting straight to the point. He looked at me, with eyes of intrigue._

"_**Yes. I must admit that I've felt the same way for so long. I'm glad you brought me back. I need a human conduit to help act through me in this world. My power is limited and my form is intangible to most. Your noble ambitions make you the perfect candidate,**_" _The Forbidden One said._

"_That's perfect. I need a god to give me the assistance necessary to do this. But, I must ask. What got you banished from the universe?" I asked, ecstatic that this was all going according to plan._

_"_ _ **What did I do…? That's a tough one… A story for another day, perhaps. For now, I will say that I was the only Legendary that ever saw the way things should be,** _ _" The being said with dripping anger in his voice._

"_Hmph, I thought so. I've seen first hand how deceptive those gods are," I growled. The Forbidden One got real close to me, examining my every feature._

_"_ _ **I should ask. Do you have a plan?** _ _" The being asked._

_"I... um... I was kind of hoping you'd have something in that mind of yours..." I mumbled, looking down at the floor._

_"_ _ **Don't worry. Do you happen to know of the Legendary Orbs?** _ _" The entity asked._

_"Oh! Yes, I'm very knowledgeable on the Legendaries! Why wouldn't I know about them?" I stated quite proudly._

_"_ _ **Then you know that they can influence a Legendary's behavior. You also know that each Legendary chooses a human partner to act for the Legendary. Though I've chosen you as my partner, I do not have a corresponding orb due to my absence from the official pantheon of Legendaries. These chosen humans, among other things, protect the orb to prevent outsiders from interfering with the Legendary's** _ _ **behavior,** _ _" The entity said._

_"So what you're saying is..." I mused._

_"_ _ **If we can bypass these humans and take the orbs, we'll be able to control the Legendaries,** _ _" The entity said, finishing my sentence._

_"But where do we go from there?" I asked._

_"_ _ **It is said that when these Orbs gather at the Spear Pillar, the path to Arceus is opened. I trust you know what to do from there,** _ _" The being said. Indeed I did, and my mind was already filling with fantasies of what that day would be like._

_"How do you know all of this? Weren't you trapped in that world for most of this universe's history?" I asked. The entity chuckled._

_"_ _ **I may have been trapped there, but that doesn't mean I wasn't watching. I saw everything in this world, but I was forever separated from it. It was... agonizing to say that much,** _ _" The being replied._

_"Then why was everything so unfamiliar to you when you came here?" I asked._

_"_ _ **Watching things from afar is a lot different from being physically close to them. Think of it this way. A television show can seem like a window to another world. This world is much different than the one you currently inhabit, but you are numb to it due to the fact you cannot interact with it. Picture being transported to this world and seeing it's otherworldly features. It is startling to most. This is how it is with me. I watched your world for so long that I became numb to it. But touching what I couldn't touch for so long has been an odd experience,** _ _" The being said. The being shook it's draconic head, some excess shadow flying off of it._

_"Alright then. Arceus did this to you, and for what? Trying to make a perfect universe? Over this past year, my whole view on the Legendaries has turned on its head. I once viewed them as divine beings that should be protected, but all I see now are a bunch of liars that played the whole universe," I angrily stated._

_"_ _ **The truth can hurt, especially when you find out years later. Don't worry, you aren't alone in this. I too am a victim of Arceus. From now on, you are my chosen human,** _ _" The being said._

_"Well then, what do we do first?" I asked. The being smiled slightly and began to skulk around the room._

_"_ _ **Well, we have to find the locations of these orbs,** _ _" The entity said._

_"That's going to be hard, since none of this information is present in traditional books," I exclaimed._

_'_ _ **We just have to find the right places to look,** _ _" The being said._

_"Ah, I see. I think we should figure out where all of these orbs are located before taking them. We're going to have trouble the second we take the first orb, so we should at least have a fully formed plan," I said._

_"_ _ **You're getting it. I'm glad I was summoned by an intelligent human.** _ _" My Legendary said._

_"I think that covers our first steps in this plan."_

"_**Well then, shall we make it official?**_" _The Forbidden One asked._

"_Yes, I'd like that," I replied._

"_**Very well. Oh, but I should at least tell you my name. My name is…**_" _The being whispered his name into my ear. I heard it, and savored it for a moment, before slowly repeating it to myself._

"_Giratina," I said with awe._

"_**I'm glad that you like it. Now, what should I call you?**_" _The being asked. I thought about that for a moment. What would I call myself now? My real name could lead us to some problems once people found out what we were doing. I'd need a pseudonym of some kind, a title with which I could hide with. Wait..._

"_I think I have a very fitting name given the circumstances. You can call me The Devil's Advocate," I said._

"_**Understood. If there are no further matters to address, why don't we begin?**_" _My Legendary asked._

_"Tomorrow. It's getting late." I stated. Giratina nodded his head._

_"_ _ **Oh, yes. Humans need sleep,** _ _" My Legendary said._

_"Don't worry. I'll be ready for anything starting tomorrow," I said._

_"_ _ **Good,** _ _" My Legendary said. I put out my hand._

_"To making things right in the world?" I asked. One of Giratina's tentacles extended to take my hand. We shook limbs, and smiled._

_"_ _ **To making things right in the world,** _ _" My new companion said back._

_"Good night then. Where will you sleep though?" I asked._

_"_ _ **I assume I'll be sleeping in the living room. I don't even require sleep, but it is nice anyway,** _ _" My Legendary said._

_"Well then, I'll just head to bed. I am incredibly eager to begin," I said._

_"_ _ **As am I,** _ _" My Legendary said. I walked to my bedroom, turning off the lights as I walked down the hallway. I entered my small bedroom and climbed into bed._

_I thought about my Legendary. I never had a Pokemon, not a permanent one anyway. This would be the first Pokemon that would ally itself with me and only me. Not Arceus, not his protectors, but me. We'd make this world a better place, destroying the old one and obliterating its protectors. Then, all would be happy, and I could finally be at peace knowing that I saved the world from Arceus. It'll be difficult, but I can do it. The thought gave me some comfort as I drifted off into sleep._


	2. My Name is Marcus

_I ran through the burning town that had a name I can't remember now._

_I was more scared than I ever had been in my life. What was there to fear anyway? My town was peaceful, my family was caring, and everyone was kind. Crime was unheard of, and we were in an area where natural disasters were uncommon. So, when the fire came, everyone was caught off guard._

_It was the middle of the night. The town was asleep, and my family and I slept with our_

_Pokémon, whose faces are now lost to the sands of time. Suddenly, the towns alarms were blaring. My family and I shot awake, as did most of the town._

"_This is an emergency! Effective immediately, all citizens are to evacuate! Prioritize escape and do not take anything with you! I repeat, this is an eme-" The announcer was cut off by a draconic roar and a burst of fire. Suddenly, everyone was screaming as they tried to frantically escape their homes. At that moment, lightning struck our house, setting it on fire. There was no doubt in my mind that the attacker caused this. We all panicked and ran through the blaze, frantically trying to get to the door._

_I ran and ran through the burning rooms. Our Pokemon were scrambling to get out the door, while my father and mother lagged behind. Suddenly, I heard something fall from the ceiling, followed by a scream of pain._

"_Marcus!" My father yelled. I turned around and saw my father. My eyes widened in horror and I felt myself freeze in place._

_He was trapped under a piece of burning wood._

…

I sat under a tree, admiring the sunset. It had been ten years since I lost my town, my family, and anything I had in life. Now, I was left to travel from town to town, taking up jobs no one else wanted to work just to survive. I've tried to suppress my past, but every so often, in the dark hours of the night, I'll be reminded of what happened that day. But regardless, nowadays, I'm a drifter.

Which brings me to now. I'd been laid off my newest job after only a week. The job involved scraping up Donphan shit at a local park. With an occupation like that, it isn't hard to see why I wasn't content with continuing it. Anyways, I was planning on staying in this town for one more night before moving on. This place does have beautiful sunsets… Oh well.

I was situated under a tree overlooking a field, which was teeming with wild Pokémon, some retreating to dens and others coming out for their nightly activities. I admired them to pass the time as I waited for night to come. Some of the predatory nocturnal Pokémon were able to intercept the diurnal ones, eating them greedily. I found it odd that some Pokémon behaved as if they were almost human, while others acted like animals. Maybe it had something to with the whole Nature vs. Nurture thing. Well, I wasn't really an expert on Pokémon behavior, so I dropped it. However, I always was interested in Pokémon as a whole.

I watched as the sun set and the Pokémon in the field reached a state of calm. Now I needed to figure out where to sleep… I suppose I could just sleep under the tree. The only problem with that were the Bug Type Pokémon that would crawl on me in my sleep.

Well, I didn't have any other options. I mean, I could stay in a motel, but the one's I could afford were rather… unsafe.

I pulled out my sleeping bag from my bag of essential items and began to set up my

temporary bed. As I was doing so, I heard a distant roar coming from the sky. I looked up but couldn't see what had caused the noise. Could that have been a rare Pokémon, maybe even a Dragonite? They're big, but the sky was cloudy, so it could have easily hidden itself behind the clouds. I paid no further attention to it, as I probably couldn't catch it, both due to its distance from me and the fact that I didn't have any Pokeballs. I've also never had a Pokémon of my own, aside from those owned by family, so I wouldn't be able to wound it.

Brushing off the roar, I continued to unroll my sleeping bag. I took off my bag, shoes, shirt, and pants and crawled into my sleeping bag. Once I was comfortable, I decided to watch the stars as I waited for sleep. However, as I looked up at the sky, I realized that it was still cloudy. "Dammit…" I muttered to myself. I always enjoyed looking at stars, even though they're just balls of hydrogen. I guess they always remind me of the otherworldly, something I've always found intriguing. "Guess I'll just imagine that there are stars there…" I mumbled in annoyance.

I looked up and pictured what the stars might have looked like tonight. Immediately, a grand picture of a sky filled with thousands of stars, accompanied by the band of the galaxy stretching across the sky, came to me. However, I knew that it would probably just be a normal night, with only a few stars showing their faces. Being near a town wouldn't help, as the light pollution would cause many stars to not be present.

Speaking of the otherworldly, I'm also interested in the Legendaries. They're the gods that rule our world, from the Legendary Birds of Kanto to the Creation Trio of Sinnoh to Arceus himself. All of them interested me. Here in Unova, my home region, we had three main Legendaries, The Tao Trio. The Tao Trio consisted of Reshiram, the Dragon of Truth and Fire, and Zekrom, the Dragon of Ideals and Electricity. They were opposites of each other, but they had an in between, Kyurem, the Dragon of Absence and Ice.

I noticed that I was starting to have a hard time keeping my eyes open, so I decided to finally fall asleep.

Sleep came quickly tonight.

…

Warmth.

All around me I felt a burning sensation. My eyes shot open to find that the field I was

sleeping in was on fire. I immediately started panicking and scrambled up.

I suddenly felt a rising heat near my legs. I looked down and saw that my legs had also caught fire. I jumped back but quickly noticed something strange about this. Surprisingly, my body was unharmed, and I didn't feel pain. I figured that I was dreaming and decided to go along with it.

In the center of the field, a white glow gathered and parted the flames. The glow grew more intense, to the point where I had to shield my eyes. The glow continued to grow, and even became fused with the flames surrounding it. Wisps of white energy began to emit from the bright ball, some of which passed right through me. Just when I thought it couldn't get any brighter, the glow quickly settled down and materialized into a coherent shape.

It was that of the Legendary Pokémon, Reshiram.

The god's blue eyes pierced through the flames and were fixed right on me. "_**Marcus…**_" A feminine voice said, echoing through the field. This certainly was an odd dream I was having… I decided to play along.

"Yes?" I responded.

"_**Let us first get this out of the way. You may think you are dreaming right now, and to some extent, you are. However, everything I am about to say is as true as the truth I embody. I am Reshiram, The Dragon of Truth and Fire, and I have called to you.**_"Reshiram said. With that, I began to reconsider what was happening. Was this a real experience? Why would Reshiram even be here? Or was this just part of the dream?

"I-I'm not dreaming right now?" I asked.

"_**We are conversing in your mind now, but I am the real Reshiram.**_" Reshiram stated. She turned her head towards the sky and continued "_**Legendaries choose humans to act for them. In other words, these humans act as our representatives in this world. You, Marcus, are my new chosen human**_.

"W-What? Chosen human? What's so special about me?" I asked. I had no idea what was happening anymore. Why would Reshiram choose me? What did I have to offer to the world? For the past years, I've been scraping up shit and babysitting unruly Pokemon.

"_**This world is in danger. All around us, someone is manipulating the world in collaboration with an unknown power. He seeks to change the universe, completely resetting it to his own liking. Every Legendary is preparing their chosen humans for a coming battle. But those who haven't chosen a human yet, such as me, must do so. As for why I chose you specifically, I'll just say that I've had my eye on you for a while. But that is a story for another time. **_" Reshiram said in a professional tone.

"W-What!? How can any of us even stop someone who wants to destroy the universe!?" I asked, getting even more confused.

"_**The Legendaries and their respective humans are working tirelessly to control the situation. I am currently without a partner, so you must fill that gap. We need all the help we can get.**_" Reshiram replied.

"Well. what am I supposed to do!? I've never had a single Pokemon!" I yelled.

"_**That is why you will be receiving a Starter Pokemon at Professor Juniper's Lab here in Unova.**_" Reshiram stated.

"But those Pokemon aren't even strong! How can we stop a universal threat with a Snivy, Tepig, or Oshawott?" I asked. Reshiram sighed.

"_**People talk of strength, saying that this Pokemon is stronger than that Pokemon. The truth is that we Legendaries created all Pokemon to be equal, so long as their bonds with their trainers are strong. With enough love, even a Feebas can be as powerful as a Dragonite. That is why you need to receive a Pokemon. From the looks of it, you could benefit from a companion.**_ _**I can see into your heart. You long for a partner.**_"

"O-Oh! Well, Juniper is pretty far away from here…" I mumbled.

"_**I am a god! I can merely teleport you there!**_" Reshiram said, annoyed.

"S-Sorry!" I apologized. Reshiram eased up slightly.

"_**It's fine. Now, you shall wake near Juniper's Lab. I trust you know what to do from there.**_" Reshiram said.

"Yes… Y-Yeah, I think I can figure it out." I mumbled.

"_**Great. Then let us seal this bond. Grasp my wing, and shake it as you would shake a human's hand.**_" Reshiram ordered. Nervously, I stuck out my hand, and Reshiram connected her wing. Then we, shook our connected limbs. After a moment, Reshiram disconnected her wing.

"_**Our souls have been bonded. Now, Marcus, you shall sleep. When morning comes you will awake. For now, rest.**_" Reshiram advised. With that, I suddenly collapsed back into a dreamless slumber.

...

After enjoying a nice sleep, I awoke.. However, I was nowhere near the field I was sleeping in. It seemed like it was early morning, and I was outside some sort of town.

"W-Where am I…?" I muttered to myself.

"_**Didn't you pay attention to what I told you? You're outside Nuvema Town, the location of Juniper's Lab.**_" Reshiram said. I jumped back. It wasn't a dream...

"Wha-Where are you!?" I said a little too loudly.

"_**Behind you**_" The fire dragon said. I turned around and found that she was indeed directly behind me.

"Gah! W-Won't someone see you!?"

"_**I am visible only to my chosen human or others I deem worthy of seeing my form. You would be one of those people.**_"

"Well… Ok, then." I said, turning to face the town. "Well… What're we waiting for?"

"_**Yes. We should head in.**_" I looked down, already worrying about my coming mission, one that had been thrust upon me in a matter of seconds.

"Reshiram… Can I really do this? How can I save the world?"

"_**Do not be worried about that now.**_" Reshiram reassured, facing me.

"_**I am here with you.**_"


	3. Sammy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm a dumbass. I didn't post this chapter.

Now inside Nuvema Town, I had to search for the Lab. I looked at my newfound companion. "Reshiram? Do you happen to know where the Lab is?" I asked.

"_**Yes, but this town has only a dozen buildings, Marcus. If you can't find the Lab, then we have bigger issues to attend to.**_" Reshiram said with a half joking tone.

"Heh, I guess so." I replied. It was then that I noticed a man standing in front of a building. "Here, I'll just ask this guy." I said, approaching the man.

"_**Do not be so loud. Remember that only you can see me.**_" Reshiram reminded. I gave a slight but imperceptible nod to show that I understood.

"Excuse me, sir?" I asked. The man looked at me with annoyance in his eyes. Needless to say, I was kind of intimidated.

"What do you want, kid?" The man said, his voice underlying with contempt.

"Uhh… Do you know where the Lab is?" I asked. The man sighed.

"I'm standing right in front of it, you dumb kid." The man said.

"O-Oh! Sorry to bother you!" I apologized. Though I was trying to be courteous, I was actually starting to get pretty pissed. People like this have always gotten on my nerves.

"Whatever just go in. I'm waiting for someone and you're creeping me out." The man said as he went back to waiting. I quickly walked into the Lab, done with this man's bullshit.

"Jackass…" I muttered. Reshiram overheard this and shot me a glance.

"_**Do not let this man get to you. He knows not of your importance.**_" Reshiram assured. Deciding not to respond, I looked around the building I had found myself in. On the walls, there were shelves lined with numerous books and what I presumed to be research reports. In a nearby corner, the room also contained a couch, table, and bed, as the Professor presumably lived here. In the back of the room there was a desk, on top of which laid three Pokeballs. Next to the desk, there was another desk where a young woman was seated, doing work on a computer. She didn't seem to notice that I entered.

"Uh, excuse me? Is this a good time?" I asked, worried I had interrupted some important work. The woman looked up from her computer, and smiled at me.

"Oh, not at all! I was hoping that someone would come by today. Nobody has come for quite some time." The woman replied.

"Well that's good. My name's Marcus and I'm here to get a Starter Pokemon." I said, deciding to get to the point. The woman chuckled.

"Woah, no need to rush. Why don't you seat yourself?" I sat down on a nearby couch. The Professor continued with her introduction. "Anyway, I'm Professor Juniper, and this is my Lab!" Juniper greeted, smiling and tilting her head slightly. I managed a friendly smile in order to make her feel more comfortable.

"Well, it's nice to meet you!" I replied in a friendly tone. "So, what Pokemon do you have?" I asked, just wanting to get this over with. With a universal threat on the horizon, I needed to act fast.

"_**You can rest a little easier, Marcus. It would be a problem if you developed a sense of hastiness.**_" Reshiram chimed in, causing me to jump a bit. Juniper looked at me with a confused look.

"Are you ok?" Juniper said with concern. I readjusted myself and nodded my head.

"Yeah… Sorry about that." I replied. I couldn't really think of a good excuse to explain that, so I was just kind of hoping she would drop it. To my relief, Juniper just put on her previous smile and continued on as if nothing happened.

"Well, about the Starter Pokemon, we actually have all three here today!" Juniper said excitedly. "Here, if you follow me, I can show them to you."

"Sure, I'd like to see all of them." I replied. WIth that, Juniper lead me past her shelves to the back of the room, where the table with three Pokeballs resided.

"Now, Snivy, Tepig, Oshawott!" Juniper said, taking the Pokeballs and opening them. As expected, the three Pokemon inside were released as light before materializing into their forms. The three beings that took shape in front of me were the familiar Starters of Unova.

There was Snivy, the grass snake that was known for its excessive pride. This particular Snivy looked at me with apprehension, as if it didn't fully trust me. Again, this is typical Snivy behavior, as they don't tend to immediately trust their Trainers. If I were to choose Snivy as my partner, it would be very difficult to earn it's trust, and there was no guarantee it would ever fully trust me. Given what Reshiram said, a Trainer's bond with their Pokemon must be strong in order to unlock their true power, and Snivy's would be hard to unlock.

There was Tepig, the fire pig that was known for its drive but overall lack of intelligence. They are generally unpredictable and their reactions to Trainers can vary. As for this one, it viewed me with a completely blank expression. It didn't look bored or apathetic, it just… stared. I couldn't tell what it was thinking about . If I were to choose Tepig as my partner, I would have no way of knowing what would happen. Since this was a pretty important situation, I needed to be careful.

Then there was Oshawott, the sea otter Pokemon known for its upbeat attitude. They are generally cheerful and eager to please. For this particular Oshawott, it stared at me, smiling, as if it wanted me to pick it. If I were to choose Oshawott, I would have a sure ally. Knowing what lies ahead, that's everything. Besides that, I felt… drawn to him. I've heard of stories where Trainers felt an almost spiritual connection with the Starter Pokemon they choose. Maybe something similar was happening here? I knew what I had to to.

"I choose Oshawott." I announced. Juniper smiled and nodded.

"May I ask why?" She politely asked. I looked at the small blue Pokemon, wondering what it was besides practical reasons that made me choose it.

"I don't know… I guess I just like his style." I said half jokingly. Juniper simply laughed.

"That's what happens with most trainers!" She said before walking to the back of the room to get my supplies.

"You're one of the oldest people who've come here. I don't mind that, but it feels weird fetching supplies for a grown man." Juniper said as she dug through some drawers. She pulled out some Pokeballs, potions, Pokemon food, and a Pokedex. That was kind of rude, as I'm not exactly what one would call a grown man. I'm only eighteen. Still though, that is a rather old age to be getting one's first Pokemon. "Ok, this should get you started. But you look like the kind of guy that knows about these sorts of things, so I'll spare you the lecture I normally give to new Trainers."

"Heh, that's good." I nervously responded. Juniper put her finger to her head, thinking for a moment, before responding.

"Well, I think you have everything!" She said cheerfully. "I guess you should be on your way!"

"Yeah, I kind of have to start this journey now." I responded, smiling.

"Well, goodbye then!" Juniper said, waving as I began to leave the Lab. I beckoned for Oshawott to follow me.

"You too!" I said, waving back, Oshawott in tow. Just as I was heading for the door, Juniper called after me.

"Wait! You forgot to put your Pokemon in a pokeball." Juniper yelled. I turned back. Did Oshawott need a pokeball? I mean, I kind of wanted to get to know him, and that would be difficult with him constantly in a ball.

"Oh, I don't need one for him! I just want to travel with him by my side." I yelled back. Oshawott seemed to perk up a little, already taking a liking to me. I guess he doesn't like pokeballs.

"Oh, ok! Just be careful, he'll be more exposed out in nature. But you'll need to have the Pokeball with you anyway, for legal purposes." I nodded and took the ball.

"I'll be sure to protect him. Anyway, see ya!" I replied, trying to be polite.

"Take care!" Juniper yelled as I walked out of the door with my new Oshawott. The sky was clear when I walked out, and the sun brightened the small town. Reshiram walked up next to me.

Was I a trainer now? Could a Legendary's partner even be considered a Trainer? I wasn't going to be tackling gyms or anything, not that that ever interested me. In any case, a grand adventure lay before me, and it made me incredibly excited and incredibly scared.

"_**Beautiful day, isn't it?**_" Reshiram asked, looking at me. Oshawott jumped back, and let out a little squeak. I quickly turned my attention to him to find that he was staring directly at Reshiram, frozen with fear. Wait… He can't see her, can he?

"_Can he see you?_" I thought to Reshiram. Reshiram nodded her head.

"_**Yes. I should inform you that all of your Pokemon will be able to see me.**_" Reshiram replied.

"Oh…" I muttered. I looked at Oshawott, who was still frozen with fear at the sight of the draconic beast before him. I kind of felt bad for him, considering that Reshiram could fry him if she felt she needed to.

"Don't worry, Oshawott! She's on our side." I reassured. Oshawott looked at me, still with fear in his eyes. I maintained eye contact, hoping he'd understand that he was safe. Reluctantly, he began to ease up. WIth that, I calmed down myself. "Good… I'm Marcus, by the way. I hope we can get along." I greeted.

"Oshawott…" Oshawott said. I internally facepalmed, remembering that Pokemon could only say their names.

"Oh yeah… You can't reply…" I lamented.

"_**That's where I come in, Marcus.**_" Reshiram spoke. I turned back to Reshiram, confused by what she meant.

"What are you getting at?" I asked. Reshiram spread her wings wide. A blue glow manifested in front of her, slowly becoming a bright ball of energy. "Hey, what are you do-" I was cut off as the ball was released from her godly hold and into my human body. "Gah!" I grunted.

"_**Oh, don't be like that. I deliberately made that painless.**_" Reshiram chastised.

"What did you do to me?" I asked. Reshiram tilted her head.

"_**I gave you the ability to talk to Pokemon.**_" Reshiram informed. I stepped back. Talk to Pokemon? How? Were Pokemon even capable of speaking with humans?

"_**Have you forgotten that I am a god? I can give you many powers. Besides, every human partnered with a Legendary is given this ability. It makes both of our jobs easier. Now, rather than questioning me, why don't you try talking to our new friend?**_" Reshiram said, her tone slightly playful. I turned to my new Oshawott. Would this work? How would this even work anyway? In any case, I guess there's only one way to find out…

"Hey… Can you hear me?" I asked the Oshawott.

"Yep! Loud and clear!" He replied. I jumped back. It worked… I could talk to Pokemon…

"_**Now, Marcus. Don't you think our friend deserves a name?**_" Reshiram asked playfully.

"Um… So… What do you want to be named?" I asked.

"Whatever you want to name me, master!" Oshawott said cheerfully. I chuckled a bit. What to name him? As I thought over it, a memory flashed before me.

_"Where are my Pokemon!?" I screamed that night._

That's it… My father's Pokemon had that name...

"Sammy. I want your name to be Sammy."

Oshawott tilted his head cheerfully. "Got it, master!" Sammy said. I frowned. I didn't like that Sammy was calling me master. It implied a sense of inferiority in our new relationship. As bad as they ended up being, Team Plasma, an organization that ravaged Unova decades ago, was right about one thing. Human and Pokemon should be equals.

"One more thing. Don't call me master. I'm Marcus, and you and I are now equals." I said with conviction. Reshiram nodded, smiling slightly and patting my head with her wing.

"_**You will make a fine trainer.**_" She said. But her face turned grim and she adopted a more serious tone."_**But please understand that this will be your last moment of respite for quite some time.**_"


	4. A New Journey on the Horizon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was split into two on Fanfiction.net. There's your uninteresting trivia for the day.
> 
> Warning: This chapter deals with sexual themes that may be unnerving to some.

We were aboard a ferry bound for Kanto. Apparently, Reshiram needed Sammy and I to head there for some sort of training. "_**We will head to Kanto. Of this world's regions, Kanto is the least important to us Legendaries, and the Legendary Birds are the only gods we have stationed there. Yet this also means that our unseen foe will likely strike here first. However, he is unlikely to take this as seriously as he would if he were to attack another region. This will be a great opportunity to gauge how strong our enemy is, and work out a plan of attack.**_" Reshiram had told me.

I guess it was great that I was getting training for my arduous journey that would determine the fate of the universe, but I still felt uneasy. Reshiram was right when she said that I wouldn't be able to relax for a while. I couldn't lose hope though. If my resolve were to fall under the pressure, we'd all lose everything.

Regardless of what will come, I was now seated in a chair aboard a boat, with Sammy in my lap and Reshiram lounging nearby. Sammy himself was listing off all the things he wanted to do on our journey.

"We can travel the world, fight Gym Leaders, take on the Champions, and become the best pair in history!" Sammy mused gleefully. I kind of chuckled, realizing that I hadn't exactly told Sammy of our journey's purpose.

"Well, Sammy… We're going to be doing things a little differently." I said sheepishly. Sammy looked at me with a confused expression.

"What are we doing then?" Sammy asked, tilting his head to the side.

"Well, the Legendaries of this world are threatened by someone, and we're not sure who. We're one of the teams that are supposed to stop them. That's why Reshiram's with me." I said as simply as I was able to. However, Sammy just looked at me with even more confusion. Reshiram noticed this and decided to step in.

"_**Yes, Sammy. We are on a mission to save the universe. That's why we are going to Kanto to train ourselves. I apologize if this isn't clear to you. You're just a normal Pokemon anyway.**_" Reshiram stated. Sammy just perked up even more than he was perked up prior to this conversation.

"So we're going to save the universe! That's even better than becoming the Champion of the world! I'm so excited, I can't wait to get to Kanto!" Sammy said, bursting with excitement. I couldn't help but laugh at Sammy's continuously eager nature. I looked up toward the sea, seeing Kanto on the horizon. Just then, I felt a small twinge of… appreciation for the journey ahead..

"Yeah, Sammy. I'm ready too."

…

An hour had passed since we arrived in the Celadon City Hotel. The trip here was uneventful, and mostly just a silent taxi ride, with Reshiram flying behind us. I had used what little money I had on me to rent a hotel room for two nights, which was the amount of time Reshiram estimated we would be here. It helped that I could get a discount as I was a "traveling Pokemon trainer." The hotel itself was around three stars, so nothing fancy but nothing terrible either.

Anyways, I was petting Sammy on my bed when Reshiram tilted her majestic white head towards me and uttered a single word.

"_**Tomorrow.**_" She said. I looked at her, tilting my head.

"What's happening tomorrow?" I asked. Reshiram stared at me with her piercing blue eyes, as if she was looking deep into my heart. She probably was, considering she was a god.

"_**Tomorrow, we begin training.**_" She said.

"Why are you being so cryptic with me?" I asked.

"_**Because I'm not sure you'll like what we're doing.**_" Reshiram replied. I could only imagine what she was planning.

"I don't have much of a choice, do I?" I asked.

"_**You do not.**_" She replied with a weak but grim smile. Seemingly done with this conversation, I turned my attention to Sammy, who was tugging at my legs like a kid trying to get their parent's attention.

"Hey, when are we gonna get a real house?" Sammy asked.

"Sorry, Sammy. We'll be staying in these kinds of places for a while." I lamented. Sammy frowned but quickly sprang back up.

"Maybe we'll get a house one day!" Sammy said. I smiled and nodded, indulging in his hopes, yet knowing that it would be a long time before I could even rent a house.

"Oh yeah, what time is it?" I asked, changing the subject.

"_**It has been approximately 13,700,500,118 years, 10 months, 3 weeks, 4 days, and 18 hours since the universe was created by Arceus.**_" Reshiram said blankly. I couldn't tell whether she was fucking with me or not.

"I'll just look at the clock…" I groaned. I glanced at the clock to see that it was 10:00 PM. Yeah, I should sleep… "Bed time it is." I announced. Sammy jumped into my arms.

"Let's sleep together!" Sammy suggested. I tensed up slightly. I haven't slept with anything, human or Pokemon, since I was ten, so I was a little anxious about sleeping with Sammy. But I guess I owe it to him, for being pretty happy about this whole experience so far...

"Ok, Sammy." I turned to my Legendary partner. "Goodnight, Reshiram!" I said. Reshiram began to get herself comfortable on the hotel floor.

"_**Goodnight. Rest for tomorrow.**_" Reshiram said. I nodded and began to take my shirt and pants off and get into bed. Tomorrow would be a big day from the sound of it, so I had to get as much sleep as I could. When I lied down into bed, Sammy jumped up and wriggled himself into my arms. I felt like I was five again, clutching a teddy bear… or rather an Oshawott in this case.

"Goodnight, Marcus!"

"Goodnight, Sammy."

...

Morning light streamed through the hotel window, making me stir awake. I was still rather tired, but I knew that I needed to get whatever Reshiram needed me to do today over with. I was pretty excited, yet apprehensive about starting my mission. I let go of Sammy, who I held through the night. I figured he could sleep a little longer while I prepared breakfast. However, as I exited the bed, I made contact with a large white mass, which I had soon learned was the Legendary that had chosen me. Reshiram bellowed in pain and surprise as she scrambled to stand up. I had to admit, it was kind of funny to see a godly being struggle to even get onto her feet. However, she had managed, and I was now confronted with a mildly pissed off Reshiram.

"_**...Now, Marcus, I hope you don't make any more careless mistakes like those.**_" Reshiram scolded, her eyes scowling. I chuckled at how seriously Reshiram was taking this. Of course, I did feel bad about hurting her.

"I'm sorry about that." I said nervously. I promise it won't happen again." I added hastily. I sure hoped she wasn't seriously mad at me. To my relief, her gaze lightened and she adjusted her position to be more proud.

"_**Great. Now then, go make yourself some food.**_" Reshiram directed, tilting her head towards the fridge. I was confused as to why the hotel already had pre made meals in their fridges, but no one would hear me complaining. I fetched myself some waffles and Sammy some Pokemon food. After I put my waffles in the toaster, I put Sammy's food into the hotel provided bowl. I then walked over to the bed and shook him lightly.

"Wake up, Sammy. Food's ready." I said. Sammy jumped up and excitedly ran over and began to dig in to the food.

"Thanks, Marcus!" Sammy said, jumping with gratitude. I once again couldn't stifle my smile at Sammy's upbeat behavior. Just then, I heard my waffles pop out of the toaster.

After a leisurely breakfast with my new allies, Reshiram stood up and addressed me. "_**Marcus. Your time for relaxation is over with. We need to get moving.**_" I tilted my head, realizing that Reshiram still hadn't told me what we were doing.

"What are we even doing, though? Are you ever going to be clear with me?" I asked, a little annoyed at Reshiram's continued vagueness. Reshiram sighed.

"_**Telling you will ruin the point of the mission.**_" Reshiram said somewhat solemnly. She looked at the floor, with a hint of shame in her face.

"Reshiram?" I asked with concern. Reshiram straightened herself and continued on, but I could swear that I saw a flash of weakness on her face, a change in her professional demeanor so far.

"_**You cannot hear this from me. You must see it with your eyes. It is essential to the mission.**_" Reshiram said seriously. I nodded. I figured that I'd need to address this later.

"Ok. What do I do?" I asked. Reshiram simply walked towards the door and opened it, not saying anything beyond these two words.

"_**Follow me.**_"

…

She should have told me we'd be flying. If I'd been told that in a few hours I would be on the back of a godly white dragon two hundred meters in the air, I might have had some reservations about the whole situation. Yet here I was, clinging to Reshiram like a child to their mother.

"Reshiram! Could you slow down a bit? I feel like I'm going to throw up at this rate, and somehow I don't think you would appreciate that." I yelled. Reshiram turned her head back to me.

"_**We need to get there as soon as we can, Marcus.**_" She turned her head forward again. "_**Besides, it isn't much farther.**_"

Sammy, in stark contrast, was clearly enjoying himself. Granted, he was in my bag, which was safely secured to Reshiram's neck, so he didn't really have to deal with the issue of falling to his death. I, meanwhile, had to be vigilant every second, as one particularly strong gust of wind could send my flying off my dragon mount and plummeting to the hard ground below me.

After a few more minutes of panic, Reshiram suddenly looked down at the ground. "_**We're here.**_" She said. Before I could respond, she moved into a nosedive, heading for a designated point on the ground. I couldn't even protest this, as I was too busy dealing with the immense fear that overcame me at that moment. We were speeding towards the ground at… damn, it must have been nearly eighty kilometers per hour. In my panicked thoughts I saw Reshiram crashing head first into the ground, instantly killing all of us.

Yet it didn't happen. When we neared the ground, Reshiram slowed and landed gracefully, spreading her wings in what I assumed to be a gesture of reassurance towards me, reassurance that we were okay. "_**You may dismount now.**_" She said. I vomited the second I set foot on the ground.

Sammy jumped out of his bag. "Marcus, what's the matter?" He asked with concern. After expelling the last of the vomit, I spoke.

"Just a little sick, Sammy. The flight was a little hard on me." Reshiram eyed me with mild concern herself.

"_**Well, it seems that flying won't be an option in the future.**_" She said in her usual businesslike demeanor.

"I'm fine. Let's just get on with what we're here for." I said. Reshiram sat on the floor.

"_**This area is on the path of a notable Pokemon trafficking gang.**_" Reshiram said bluntly. I had to register what I was hearing for a moment. Pokemon trafficking?

"_**Yes. The illegal sale of Pokemon as property for a wide variety of purposes. Not all of them savory, may I add.**_" Reshiram said, answering my internal question, though not in the way I wanted it to.

"No, I mean what's this have to do with fighting a universal threat?" I asked. Reshiram looked away from me.

"_**I still can not tell you. Not until the mission has been completed in a successful manner.**_" I left it at that. I guessed I'd figure it out after this was done with.

"But… But why out here?" Reshiram looked back at me and pointed her wing to a nearby trail.

"_**The captured Pokemon are taken along this path. The gang will cross here in about ten minutes. Your job is to figure out how to stop them.**_" Reshiram curled up on the ground. "_**Without my help.**_"

"A-Are you serious? How am I supposed to fight a gang without your help!?" I asked, taken aback by her order. Reshiram just looked at me blankly.

"_**In case you haven't figured it out yet, this is a test. An assessment on where we need to improve and what you are already good at.**_" She looked me straight in the face. "_**A test of how well you can handle yourself without me.**_" I was still shocked at the task thrust in front of me, but I knew there was no point in arguing. This god has chosen me to stand for this universe, and I knew I needed to follow her every order.

"Ok… I'll try…" I said with weak assertiveness. Reshiram smiled.

"_**Good. Now I suggest we all hide ourselves until they come.**_" I nodded my head in agreement. I turned to look for Sammy couldn't find him.

"Sammy!" I yelled. Then, I heard small footsteps running at a fast pace. I turned and saw that Sammy was running from a nearby pond.

"Sorry, Marcus! I was just swimming around!" He yelled back. I smiled and patted his head.

"It's fine, Sammy. Now come on, Reshiram wants us to hide for a minute."

…

True to her word, after ten minutes I saw a truck in the distance. It looked like an ordinary truck, one that a normal person might own. It was moving relatively slowly as it drove along the countryside path. Reshiram spoke to me.

"_**This is it, Marcus. Do what you need to do.**_" She simply said. But what was I to do? How could I even stop the damn truck? Maybe I could jump in front of it, to get them to pull on the brakes? No, they probably wouldn't care anyway, and even if they did stop I would be exposed to them. I couldn't think of a safe way to physically stop its movement anyway. Gah! How can I do this? No human could stop a moving vehicle like that!

Then it hit me. No mere _human_ could stop it. But I had a Pokemon, and a Pokemon equipped with a razor sharp shell at that. But could I force Sammy to do this? It could be dangerous, and for all intents and purposes, he's still a child. But I knew that I couldn't do anything else. There were just no other options.

"Sammy." I whispered.

"Yes, Marcus?" He replied. I pointed to the truck, which was getting a little closer now.

"When that truck passes us, I want you to throw your shell into one of the tires." I said. Sammy looked confused.

"Why? What's wrong with that truck?" Oh yeah… He was playing in the pond while Reshiram was telling me why we were here. He didn't know that this truck was being driven by a gang of Pokemon traffickers. "Well, Sammy, the truck is being driven by… some very bad people. Reshiram wants us to get rid of them." I said, omitting the mention of Pokemon traffickers as Sammy probably wouldn't understand what that was. Sammy sharpened his expression into one of determination.

"Got it! I won't let these bad people get away with whatever they're plotting!" Sammy said, sounding like a child pretending to be a superhero. I smiled.

"Great! Now, focus on that truck." I said. Sammy grabbed his shell and looked at the approaching truck. It was slowly coming closer and closer until… Slash! Sammy threw the shell into a tire.

The truck skidded across the road, and it was clear that the driver was desperately trying to avoid crashing judging by the frantic movements the vehicle was making. However, the truck couldn't be controlled and crashed in a ditch on the side of the road. It lay there for a moment, smoking, before one of the doors opened and two men, one elderly and one appearing to be in his forties, stepped out.

"What the hell happened!? Are you trying to get us, and the goods, killed!?" The elderly man said. The younger man looked pretty pissed as well.

"I don't fucking know, old man! One of the tires probably blew or something!" He retorted.

"Well then, how's about we look at them tires?" The old man said a little more calmly. The younger man nodded and they both walked around the truck, inspecting it. The younger man quickly found the tire in question, that still had Sammy's shell in it.

"What'd I tell ya?" He said. The old man quickly sauntered over to the tire.

"That still don't explain how the shell got in there." He leaned down close to it. "Looks like the shell of something from the Oshawott line. Musta scared it with our truck or something." The younger man sighed.

"Great. Now we gotta call our boys to come fix up the truck. We're gonna have to push the auction back too." I saw the old man pull out a phone.

"Alright, let's just get this over with." He sighed. Both men walked over to the front of the truck to make the phone call. Now what? I didn't think I had the strength to knock them out. Sammy was probably too weak to take them out as well. I looked around for something, anything to use to my advantage.

Then I found it. The back of the truck had a door, and behind it there were likely half a dozen captured Pokemon that could probably fight these guys. There was a lock, but Sammy might be able to use his shell to break it. We just had to get there...

I moved over to the crashed truck as quickly and quietly as I could, carrying Sammy with me. He was squirming and trying to say something, as he didn't know what was happening, but I clamped my hand over his mouth before he could give away our position. The men hadn't noticed me; they were still talking over the phone.

"Yes, we need it today! The auction is tomorrow!" The elderly man said. I did my best to ignore them as I arrived at the truck door. I whispered into Sammy's ear, making sure to keep my hand on his mouth.

"Ok, Sammy. We have to be really quiet. We don't want those men to hear us." I whispered. Sammy stopped squirming for a moment and looked at me, then nodded his head. I continued on. "I need you to get your shell from the tire and use it to break this lock." I said to him. He nodded again. I set him down on the ground and motioned to the shell, and he was on his way. He made sure to be very careful in his movements as he made his way to the tire… as careful as an Oshawott could be anyway.

When he reached the tire, it was as simple as plucking the shell out. The men didn't even notice him. He quickly returned to me, holding the metaphorical key to the door. He quickly slashed the lock, breaking it. This time, the men noticed.

"The hell was that?" The younger man asked.

"Somethin' tells me that someone is tryna sabotage our goods." The older man said. I panicked, and quickly grabbed the metal door, thrusting it open. I wish I hadn't.

Inside there was a dark storage area, like what is present on a normal delivery truck. But this truck held Pokemon of all kinds, chained to the wall. There was an Absol, a Lucario, a Lopunny, and several other Pokemon, each a unique species. They were huddled in the darkest part of the room, and I'd never seen anything look so scared. But the one that got me the most was the Gardevoir.

The Gardevoir had a look of fear that made even the other Pokemon in there with her pale in comparison. She looked like she would faint if she even looked at me a second longer. Her wide eyes were looking at me with pure fear, as if I were here to slaughter everything she ever cared about. I didn't have any more time to consider the moment, when I realized something. All of the Pokemon were chained, and the men were coming for me.

"Beautiful aren't they?" The elderly man said. I swiveled around, and saw him and his partner grinning at me. "They're some of the finest girls we've ever come across." He put his hand on my shoulder and gestured toward the Absol. "She was your average wild Pokemon, clean off the forest. She should honestly be thankful. She'll make great company for the highest bidder, better than being left in the unforgiving wilds out in Hoenn." He pointed to the Lucario. "And that girl. Lucarios are highly sought after thanks to their appearance and rarity. They net a good profit. That one was from some Trainer, maybe like ten or eleven. Must have treated that Lucario real good in order to make it evolve." I was getting angry and scared at the same time. There were honestly people like this, doing these things to these poor Pokemon. That kid they took the Lucario from… he had to be close to her. Lucarios only evolve when the bond between Trainer and Pokemon is strong. And yet they just snatched her…

I looked to Reshiram. She was looking at me with a blank stare. But it wasn't blank, there was a hint of… pity in it. I heard a whimper from Sammy. The man pointed to the Gardevoir.

"And her… She'll make us rich! Gardevoirs are _the_ best species for Poketrafficking. Hella difficult to get too." The man chuckled. "They're very similar to us humans, so buyers enjoy the… anatomical similarities." The man grinned. "We got this one all the way from Sinnoh. She was in some herd or somethin'. We snatched up all the females and sent em off to different parts of the world, to locations where we operate. Had to kill most of the male Gallades, as they don't typically sell well, but we did get some worth out of some of them." He said. I was shaking with anger now.

"You mean… you slaughtered an entire tribe!?" I yelled. This wasn't fair. That tribe didn't do anything to deserve that. And yet, because a few individuals desired to keep rare and beautiful Pokemon as sex slaves, they lost everything. That Gardevoir in the truck… I realized we were more similar than we initially thought. The man laughed.

"They're just Pokemon, kid. They're killin' each other all the time in the wild. The world won't miss a few Gallades and Gardevoirs." He said. I burst out at him.

"You piece of shit! How many beings did you hurt in your lifetime?" I yelled. The man's smile faded. He pulled a gun from his pocket.

"I'm done talkin' kid." He turned to his partner. "Grab the Oshawott! Maybe he'll be worth somethin'" I should have been mortally afraid, but the adrenaline and anger coursing through me inhibited my fear.

"Sammy, the chains!" I yelled. Sammy whimpered and ran into the truck, the younger man running after him. The older man pointed his gun at me. In an instant, I put my hand over the muzzle, and he fired. The bullet went straight through my hand, and I grabbed it in pain. Before he could fire another shot, I punched him and he dropped the gun. I grabbed it and threw it as far as I could. The man grabbed his face.

"You little shit…" He reached into his pocket, and pulled out another gun. My eyes widened in terror. "I always bring a spare." He said angrily. Reshiram looked at me with concern, like she was ready to get me out of there. But she stayed there, probably thinking that there was still a way I could fix this.

But I couldn't think of anything. But just then, I heard something run out of the truck. "Shit, shit, shit! We gotta get out of here!" The younger man yelled as he ran. The older man put down his gun and looked at him.

"What the hell are you talkin' about?" He asked.

"The girls are free, you idiot! They're not happy with us!" The young man replied. The old man's eyes widened. His mouth opened to say something but he was interrupted by several angry Pokemon flooding out of the truck. Their fear was replaced by wrath, and they beelined for the men. All except the Gardevoir.

She was not following the crowd, rather, she just stood outside the truck watching the whole ordeal. Behind her, Sammy came running out holding his shell in a valiant pose. "Be free!" He yelled as the Pokemon poured out of the truck. It was amazing that even in this situation, he was still acting like a child. The Pokemon swarmed the old man, knocking him to the floor as he disappeared under the pile of biting, punching, and scratching former captives. He never stood a chance. He probably died within a minute.

The Pokemon moved on to the running younger man. He looked back once in horror before collapsing to the ground. "No, ple-" He was cut off as the Pokemon jumped him, tearing him limb from limb. Never before had I seen a group, human or Pokemon, so angry that they would remorsefully rip apart a person. Not that they didn't deserve it anyway.

When the second man died, he took the tense atmosphere with him. All of the Pokemon walked over to me. "T-Thank you…" The Absol said.

"He can't hear us. You're wasting your time." The Lucario said.

"No, I can hear you." I said. All of the Pokemons' eyes widened, and even the Gardevoir turned to look at me. "You're welcome by the way. I don't know of any decent person who would have let this happen." I said shyly. I wasn't used to being the center of attention like this.

"W-Well would you look at that. A human that can talk to Pokemon." A Gothitelle said. The rest of them nodded. There was a long silence until a Tsareena spoke up.

"What do we do now?" She asked. I couldn't answer. Nobody could.

"I don't know…" I said timidly. Another long silence.

"It's simple. We do what we feel is necessary." The Absol said. The others looked at her, waiting for her to continue. "All of us had lives, loved ones before this. If any of yours are still alive, you should return to them, by any means necessary." She began.

"That's right! My trainer is still out there. Arceus, he's gonna be so happy to see me!" The Lucario said excitedly.

"My colony should still be at least somewhat intact…' The Tsareena said.

"Yes, there's a start for some of you. For those of you who have no lives to return to… Well, there is still hope." The Absol continued. This time, the Gardevoir interrupted.

"Hope!? What hope!? My whole tribe has been slaughtered, and you expect me to be hopeful!?" She said angrily. She had finally had enough of this and decided that she needed to say something.

"Please understand that there are still op-"

"What options!? Crawl my way to a Pokemon Center? Let them treat me and then stick me in some adoption facility? Wait there for years until some human comes a-"

"Shut up and let me talk!" The Absol interrupted. "I told you to do what you felt was necessary. Even in this situation, there are still ways to move forward, to have a better life. I can't help you with that, you have to figure it out yourself." The Absol turned around and began to walk away. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a rather loving family waiting for me in Johto. They'd be rather pleased to see their dear pet Absol come home." She didn't say anything else as she walked into the distance. The others followed suit, each going their own ways. All of course, except the Gardevoir.

Her eyes filled with tears and she knelt to the floor, crying. "D-Damnit… What am I supposed t-to do now…" I felt terrible, but there was nothing I could do. How was I supposed to help a Pokemon who'd lost everything? Unless…

"Would you like to come with me?" I asked. She looked at me, eyes wide with surprise.

"C-Come with y-you? B-But why? Why me?" She asked, still crying. I held out my uninjured hand to help her up.

"Because I know what it is like to lose it all." I said. She looked at me with curiosity. "My parents died in an accident when I was young. I thought it was over for me, but I moved forward." She stood up herself, not noticing my hand offering to help her. Her eyes were firmly locked with mine. "Besides, I didn't have _any_ company and I made it. You would have Sammy and I." Those words brought a smile to her face, and she wiped the tears streaming down her face.

"Yes… Please take me with you…" She said softly. I smiled.

"Great! I'll get a Pokeball for you." Her face fell with that sentence. "Oh, don't worry! I'll let you right out, and you don't have to stay in it. It's just to make this whole thing official." She looked relieved.

"Ok. Do it." She said. I pulled out a Pokeball, but stopped when I realized I'd forgotten something important.

"What's your name?" I abruptly asked. She smiled.

"Grace." She simply said. I smiled and tapped her head with the ball. Her form became red energy and entered the ball, beginning the catching process. The ball gave three shakes and clicked, officially making this Gardevoir my Pokemon. Reshiram came over to me swiftly.

"_**I'm sorry, Marcus! I shouldn't have let that play out like that. You could have gotten seriously hurt.**_" She grabbed my injured hand with her wings and clasped it. Within an instant, it healed. She must have noticed the look of shock on my face, because she quickly explained herself. "_**All Legendaries can heal relatively minor wounds like this. However, it does strain us, so don't count on this during a combat situation.**_" She said, as if it were a mundane thing.

"I suppose that doesn't matter. We have a new teammate now." I said excitedly. Sammy jumped up and down.

"Yay! I can't wait to get to know her!" He said giddily. I looked back at Reshiram with a more serious expression.

"But why did you put us through this? What was there to gain?" I asked. Reshiram sighed, and looked a little ashamed.

"_**I'll explain when we get back to the hotel.**_" She said, gesturing for me to get on her back. Oh god, not this again…

Sammy and I climbed up onto Reshiram, and we took off towards the hotel, just as dawn was about to begin.


	5. The Devil's Advocate

Light poured in from outside of the window as another day began for me and my Pokemon. Rubbing my eyes, I slowly sat up in my bed, ready for whatever this day would throw at me. Next to me, Sammy slept curled in the blankets, snoring lightly. Next to the bed, Reshiram was curled into a ball, sleeping off the stress of the previous day. Not that she did anything other than make me sick with her flying. In front of the bed, slumbering in a sleeping bag, was Grace.

Grace herself had been rather shocked to see that Reshiram was with us. She nearly fainted when she saw the towering dragon before her. I explained everything to her, about how I was supposed to help the other Legendaries save the world. She didn't buy it at first, but Reshiram was able to convince her. After that, she decided to fall asleep. Reshiram took that as a sign that everyone should go to bed, and that she would tell me why we liberated those Pokemon tomorrow… or today rather.

I decided to get up and make some breakfast. As I was preparing the eggs that were conveniently in the fridge, a voice suddenly spoke to me. "_**I suppose I should tell you why we did that yesterday.**_" It said. I jumped from the sudden surprise and turned to face the one speaking to me. Fortunately, it was just Reshiram. She chuckled at my reaction. "_**Who else would be talking to you?**_" She asked. I glared at her.

"Not funny!" I muttered angrily. Reshiram simply chuckled again before moving on to more pressing matters.

"_**Yesterday's excursion was a test.**_" A test? Why though? Reshiram saw my reaction and continued on. "_**What you saw yesterday was one of the darkest aspects of this world. I was testing you to see how you would react to it.**_" I didn't understand. Reshiram sighed and looked me straight in the face. "_**I was trying to see whether you felt this world was worth saving.**_" I was even more confused now.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"_**Exactly what I said. I wanted to see if you felt this world was worth saving, even after seeing its darker parts.**_" I understood now. If I was to save the world, I would also be ensuring that these activities would continue. The world has its good parts, but also its bad, and saving it would perpetuate the continued existence of both. So, was I to follow through with this, knowing that, while the world would still have goodness and light, it would also continue to have selfish individuals that do things like Pokemon trafficking.

"_**Yes. One of the few things we know about our foe is that he has a deep hatred for the world. We don't know why, but it is common for such individuals to despise it for its bad parts, without seeing the good. I wanted to test whether that experience would give you that same hatred our enemy has.**_" Reshiram smiled. "_**And it seems that it hasn't.**_"

She was right about that. I still had the resolve to save this world, not affected in the least by the events yesterday. I guess I wanted to ensure the world's continuation, so that the people who did have it good could continue to enjoy their lives, and that victims could potentially come back from their rough experiences. That has always been a resolve of mine. Living in a town of kind hearted people taught me that. I nodded my head in affirmation and Reshiram smiled.

"_**Good. I'm glad I picked you.**_" Reshiram said as she walked over to the other side of the room. "_**Today we shall be heading to Cerulean Cave.**_" Cerulean Cave? Why there?

"What's so special about that place?" I asked. Reshiram turned to me.

"_**It is where we will find the Legendary Birds, and where our foe is likely to strike.**_"

…

One breakfast, two hour bus ride, and short ferry trip later, we arrived at Cerulean Cave. The cave itself was nothing special, just an opening in the side of a mountain. However, this was apparently the resting place of the Legendary Birds, along with their Legendary humans. I knew that they roamed around Kanto occasionally, but this was their home according to Reshiram. I had also heard that some other Pokemon escaped here and made it its home. It was apparently some genetic lifeform named Mewtwo. It was a popular tale meant to scare children back in Unova, despite the fact that Kanto is literally on the other side of the world. I asked Reshiram if it was a Legendary.

"_**No it isn't. Mewtwo was and always will be a product of mortals. As such, it cannot be a part of the pantheon.**_" Reshiram said, answering my question. I nodded, indicating that I heard her.

"Marcus… Are we going in?" Grace asked. Brought back to the present, I realized that I was still standing in front of the cave entrance. I chuckled and answered Grace.

"Yes, but both of you need to stay close to me. This place is probably teeming with wild Pokemon." I cautioned. My two Pokemon nodded and braced themselves as we entered the dark, damp cave.

Inside, it was pitch black, to the point where I couldn't even see my own hand. I felt like an idiot for not even considering that this would be a factor. Then again, I expected the cave to be a bit brighter considering that the Birds and their humans lived here. "Would any of you happen to know Flash?" I asked.

"_**Neither of them do. Worry not, for I have a tail that can glow brighter than any star.**_" Reshiram reassured. Reshiram's tail began to glow a bright orange, illuminating our surroundings. The cave around us was very damp. Water was dripping from the ceiling, the floor was wet, and there was even a river running through the cave. Despite this, I saw no sign of the Legendary Birds.

"Where are we heading exactly?" I asked.

"_**We'll find them on the lowest level of the cave.**_" Reshiram informed. I nodded my head and beckoned for Grace and Sammy to follow. Sammy, however, was staring intently at the river.

"Hey, Marcus! Can I play in the water?" Sammy asked.

"Maybe on our way out. Reshiram says it's really important that we meet these people." I replied. Sammy seemed to be a little disappointed, but nodded happily.

"Ok, Marcus!" He said. Continuing into the cave, everyone was largely silent. This and the strange lack of wild Pokemon put me on edge. On top of all that, I felt like I was being… watched. Every small noise made me jump and I constantly thought I saw things out of the corner of my eye. On top of all of that, I could feel some sort of… anger resonating through the whole cave.

"_**Marcus, are you okay?**_" Reshiram asked.

"Yeah… Just a little paranoid is all." I replied nervously. Reshiram didn't press further as we journeyed deeper into the cave.

An hour had passed. An hour of deep, eerie silence. I could see that Sammy was getting antsy, though he continued to keep up a happy face, for my sake. However, anyone with basic facial reading abilities could tell that he was in great distress. Grace was also getting visibly scared, looking over her shoulder constantly and jumping every so often. Poor thing has already gone through enough, and now we were forcing her to endure this.

"You can climb inside your Pokeball if you're too scared." I suggested. This scared her more than anything in the cave, and she violently shook her head in response. I sighed and continued on. Eventually, we came across a ladder leading to an even deeper part of the cave. When we descended the ladder, I felt a powerful force in the tunnels. It was that same feeling I had felt throughout the cave, only stronger. Yet, we continued on.

"_**We're here.**_" Reshiram announced as we rounded a corner. In front of us, three glowing orbs were seated on pedestals. On the right, there was a glowing red orb with a flame on it, likely symbolizing Moltres. On the left, a glowing yellow orb with a lightning bolt rested, likely embodying Zapdos. In the center, the final orb, glowing blue and adorned with a snowflake, sat, symbolizing the eldest of the Legendary Birds, Articuno.

"Woah… These must be those Legendary Orbs…" I muttered in amazement. Sammy and Grace had puzzled expressions on their faces.

"What's a Legendary Orb?" Sammy asked.

"_**Each Legendary has a corresponding orb. These orbs are embodiments of their being, and contain a part of the Legendary's power. As such, they are very dangerous in the hands of the wrong people.**_" Reshiram informed.

"I suppose that is an incentive to protect them..." Grace said.

"Yep. We would know, considering they belong to us." A voice behind us said. Startled I turned around to find three casually dressed men. The man in the middle had light, almost blue hair and blue eyes, the man on his left had blonde hair and golden eyes, and the man on his right had red hair and red eyes. They all had rather skinny builds and looked fairly young, no older than twenty five.

"W-Who are you!?" I asked with apprehension. I didn't know whether these people were trustworthy or not. The man in the middle began to laugh.

"Don't worry! I'm Adrian, the man on my left is my brother Elliot, and the man on my right is my other brother Martin. The three of us are the chosen humans of Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres!" The man said. With those words, the three Legendary Birds that I had heard so much about emerged out of the darkness, standing behind their respective partners. They were bigger than I pictured them, several heads higher than their human associates. They all had a serious, intent gaze on their faces indicating that they weren't about to put up with anyone who might offend them in some way. I'd have to mind my behavior so as to avoid angering them.

"We've been waiting for you, Marcus!" Elliot said cheerfully.

"We got word from the Legendaries that you'd be visiting to meet other humans like you." Martin added. I felt a little at ease, knowing that these people viewed me as on their level. It felt weird to talk with someone who is essentially a prophet on an equal level. I guess I still had some adjusting to do to my newfound Legendary human status.

"O-Oh, well I guess it's nice to see you." I said nervously. I had no idea what to say to them. I guess I could start with some questions... "So what exactly do we do?" I asked. I kind of already knew the answer to that, given what Reshiram had told me so far, but I couldn't think of anything else.

"Well, we make sure our particular Legendary is okay, and they help us in return. We share an equal relationship with our associated Legendary, forming a lifelong bond in most cases. If there's a universal threat or anything that threatens the Legendaries, all of us pitch in to stop it. As you know, that's what's going on now." Adrian replied. I expected that answer, so I moved on to something else.

"So, why are you all together? Is it because your Legendaries from a trio?" I asked.

"Yeah. Legendary Duos and Trios tend to stick together, and it is usually no different for their humans. Come to think of it, where are the other two humans of your trio? Doesn't Reshiram share a trio with Zekrom and Kyurem?" Elliot asked.

"They're supposed to be with me? I've never even heard of their humans." I replied.

"Hmm… Well, seeing as you're new to this, it's only natural that you wouldn't have seen them yet." Martin said, patting my shoulder. "Who knows, maybe they'll turn up soon to greet their new member!" I didn't know why, but that thought unsettled me. What would they be like? Would they look down on me as being inexperienced? Would I be a burden if I were to team up with them? I didn't want to think about that right now.

"Ok, so back on topic, what exactly are we fighting?" I asked, shifting the conversation elsewhere. The men's expressions became more serious. Adrian sighed.

"We don't know much about him, but he is very dangerous." He looked me straight in the face. "He is someone who hates everything about Arceus' grand creation. He seeks to destroy it and remake it in what he views as a perfect world." He looked away. "And worst of all, he sides with an ancient force named-"

"You know, why don't I just show you?" A new voice said cockily. Everyone in the room tensed up and looked as the source of the voice emerged from the darkness. It was a man in his early thirties, with a brown skin tone that indicated that he had distant Alolan heritage. He had vibrant purple eyes and messy brown hair. He came strutting out of the darkness, hands outstretched in an eccentric fashion. He bore a modest grin and arrogant posture as he looked at us. On top of this, something felt… off about his presence. It was almost as if something else was in the room with us. Something otherworldly...

"Y-You!" Adrian yelled.

"You know, you aren't saying very nice things about me. I mean, you didn't even bother to tell him my name." He grinned and stretched his hand out to us. "I am The Devil's Advocate, TDA for short." The man said.

"_**Marcus, this is him! This is the man we are after!**_" Reshiram alerted.. TDA laughed.

"Hey, Reshiram! Long time, no see! You know, I kind of hoped you wouldn't talk behind my back like that. I mean, I'm right here. Besides, I think it's pretty obvious that I'm not on your side." TDA said, still chuckling. Reshiram recoiled, seemingly shocked that this man could hear her.

"_**You… You can see me…**_" Reshiram whispered, a tint of fear in her voice.

"Yep! I can hear you loud and clear too! I have a Legendary Pokemon you know, so it is no wonder that I can perceive you." TDA yelled, smiling and stepping closer to us. "But I think we;ve had enough pleasantries. I'd rather get this over with and move on to more important things." TDA said. He did a swiping motion with his arm. "Come to me!" He yelled. Reshiram's eyes widened.

"_**Attack him now!**_" Reshiram commanded aggressively. Frantic, I called my two Pokemon.

"Sammy, Grace… Attack!" I yelled. Sammy grabbed his shell and a psychic glow began to emanate from Grace's hands.

"What do you want us to do, Marcus?" Grace asked, unsure of how to fight him. Wait… What were my Pokemon's moves? Sammy looked confident, but I didn't think he had much in him, and Grace looked a little apprehensive and indecisive about how to approach this. It was only then that I realized the fatal flaw in my plan. I had no idea how to train Pokemon.

"Uh… Do anything!" I yelled, unsure of what to do. My Pokemon sprang into action, throwing improvised attacks at TDA. Sammy had used what appeared to be water gun, and Grace threw some psychic blast. However, as the attacks were about to make contact with TDA, a blur of gray and red intercepted the attacks. The attacks bounced pitifully off of the mass, hitting the walls of the cave. When the dust cleared, we were finally able to see the being that had protected TDA. My eyes widened in fear.

It was one of the most unsettling Pokemon I'd ever laid eyes on. It was a long, serpentine, gray and red dragon. It's body was large, easily dwarfing the Legendary Birds. It had six translucent, black tentacles that were tipped with red sharp ends. A golden mask covered it's face, and it almost had a royal look to it. But the scariest part of it were its eyes. They were glowing red, and they were filled with the most scathing hatred I had ever seen in anybody, human or Pokemon. It looked like it would erupt into a violent rage at any second, tearing down anything in its path. TDA glanced up at the collosal being that had saved him.

"Always waiting for the last minute, eh Giratina? Maybe you could have come a little sooner?" He said in a joking tone. The being apparently named Giratina turned to his comrade and looked at him with a somewhat amused expression.

"_**You know I would never let anything seriously hurt you. Besides, those were very weak attacks, and uncoordinated at that. At most, you'd have a few scrapes and bruises, and I could easily mend those.**_" Giratina said. "_**These Pokemon are incredibly weak.**_" It laughed. TDA chuckled lightly.

"Hmph, well if you say so." He said. All of a sudden, beams of fire, electricity, and ice made contact with Giratina. We all looked to the source of the beams to find the Birds firing them. Giratina didn't even flinch as it dully turned back towards them.

"_**Do you think I fear you? Do you think that will hurt me? Do you think anything you do can make a difference?**_" Giratina said angrily, staring at the Birds with immense disdain. "_**For billions of years, I wasted away in a world where space and time were completely arbitrary. I suffered in that darkness while you lived normal, happy lives. I was forced to watch all of it! Now we have a chance to take back the world from Arceus, so I will not be felled by mere poultry!**_" Giratina said as he grabbed the birds with his tentacles. Adrian, Elliot, and Martin began to shout at Giratina and TDA, demanding that they let go of their Legendaries. Giratina continued to hold the Birds in a death grip while TDA began to approach me. I backed away slowly, scared out of my mind. TDA just laughed.

"So you're the guy, huh? The one Reshiram decided to pick?" He asked. I was about to respond when TDA put a hand up to silence me. "No, don't worry. I get it. You're just another one of Arceus' dogs." He said, looking at me with utter disgust.

"W-What do you mean?" I asked, confused as to what Arceus had to do with this.

"All Legendaries serve Arceus. This universe is his design, after all. Every god, human, and Pokemon bow to him. All except Giratina and I. We saw past Arceus' tyranny and will now rid the universe of it." TDA continued. I didn't understand.

"But the universe is fine as it is! Why do you hate it so much!?" I asked, shaking like a leaf. I couldn't do anything to stop him. TDA glared at me.

"You say that now, when everything is on your side. Soon, you will see what I mean, and it will be too late." TDA said, moving towards the orbs. He looked back at me. "You are merely a pawn." He said, grinning at me. Sammy and Grace fired attacks at him, but they were blocked by Giratina's tentacles. TDA looked up at his companion.

"Giratina, get rid of the Birds. They aren't worth our time." TDA said dully as he continued to move towards the orbs. Giratina unceremoniously threw the elemental foul with his tentacles into the cavern wall, knocking all of them out.

"Marcus, we have to stop that man!" Sammy yelled. How though? How was I supposed to do this. He had the upper hand in nearly every way, and not even the more experienced Legendary humans could stop him.

"I… I can't…" I sighed with regret. TDA looked back at me with the broadest smile on his face.

"On Judgement Day, God, Pokemon, and human will be equal. And from that day, a more just world will flourish." He said as he grabbed the orbs and placed them into a bag, not taking his vibrant purple eyes off of me and smiling all the wider. Giratina moved towards him, prompting TDA to mount him. "And all who serve Arceus will cease to be!" He yelled. A black portal opened on the floor, and the duo disappeared into the darkness.

I stood there, shocked more than I ever had been. As the three chosen humans frantically tried to tend to their Legendaries, I realized then just how outmatched I was. All of us were completely useless in that situation. Was it all hopeless?

Would we... lose to him…?


	6. Chris and Lisa

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapters focusing on these characters serve as interludes between major events. As such, they are usually rather short.

_I stepped into the mostly empty classroom. Today was the first day of my Legendary Studies course, and I intended to get here as quickly as I was able to. These beings have fascinated me since I was a child, and now I had the chance to obtain more knowledge on them, so I wasn't about to be late._

_The classroom had a few students sitting in chairs, and a professor seated at his desk, scribbling in some sort of notebook. Looking at my watch, I noted that it was still twenty minutes until the start of class. Sighing, I took a seat near the front of the room. To pass the time, I pulled out my personal notebook, containing all the information I knew about the Legendaries._

_"Let's see… Reshiram, Dragon of Truth and Fire… Zygarde, Snake of Order… Rayquaza, Dragon of the Sky… Arceus, Creator of All…" I muttered to myself, flipping through the worn pages and skimming my detailed notes. There were entries for almost every Legendary under the sun, though there were blank entries for Legendaries that had little to no public information, such as Giratina and every Alola Legendary, save the Tapus. Several so called 'Mythical Pokemon' also lacked entries, with the exception of Darkrai and Arceus. Oh well, I guess that's why I'm in this course, to fill those gaps and expand existing ones._

_"Eager to learn already?" A friendly voice asked, interrupting my musings. Looking up, I noticed that the voice belonged to the professor who was previously writing in his notebook. He was considerably aged, wrinkles prominent on his face, and hair completely gray._

_"Oh! Hello, Professor! Pleased to meet you." I greeted formally. The professor lightly chuckled._

_"Just call me Professor Rowan! As you can probably tell, I'll be your teacher." He greeted. I nodded my head._

_"I figured as much. I'm Christopher, Christoper Iousoa." I replied. Rowan smiled._

_"Well, I hope you like the class. It is always important for young minds to nurture knowledge on the Legendaries. I have some last minute work to finish up before class starts. If you have any questions, come by my desk." He said. I nodded and he walked back to his desk, resuming his writings. I was about to return to my previous activity, when the doors thrust open as another student walked in, causing me to once again look up from my notebook. She was a tall, black haired girl, with indigo eyes. Judging by her skin tone, she appeared to be a native to Sinnoh. She was also kind of… beautiful._

_I didn't think about that last part long though. It was far too early to even be thinking about befriending her, much less entering a relationship. I didn't even know her personality! What the hell kind of person would I be if I wanted to enter a romance with her just for her looks. An asshole, that's what._

_"Excuse me?" She said, snapping me out of my musings on the philosophy of relationships. She was now right in front of my desk, pointing to the vacant seat next to me. "Could I sit here?" She asked. I nodded politely. I was quite pleased at this gesture of companionship, as I was bad at doing it myself._

_"Sure, go ahead." I said. She smiled and took her seat._

_"I'm Lisa Saito, by the way. What's your name?" She asked. Startled, but relieved that she was trying to make conversation, I responded._

_"I'm Christopher Iousoa, but my peers call me Chris."_

_"That's a nice name." Lisa replied. Not wanting the conversation to just end at names, I pushed onto another topic._

_"Are you also interested in the Legendaries?" I asked. Lisa laughed a little._

_"Why else would I be here? Of course I am! They gave this world, and by extension us, being. One would think it'd be at least a little thankful to learn about them. But, I don't know. I get a little cooped up in my head sometimes." She said. I smiled. Clearly, we shared the same ideals._

_"Same here. I've actually been interested in them since I was a child. I even have a little notebook filled with notes and drawings of them." I said. She beamed._

_"Woah! Can I see?" She asked. I handed her the notebook I was holding, watching as she flipped through the pages. "These are really good! How long have you had this?"_

_"Since my first year in high school. That's when I knew for sure that I wanted to study the Legendaries." I replied. Lisa handed me back the book._

_"I think we'll be great friends!" She said cheerfully. I smiled at her, as class began._


	7. Welcome to Johto

_I couldn't help my father even if I wanted to. He was as good as dead, his body already beginning to burn, his screams echoing through the house. It was incredibly traumatizing seeing my dad's flesh burn, flaking off in ashes, and I shut my eyes and started shaking, refusing to move. I likely would have stood there for a few minutes more if my mother hadn't grabbed my hand and ran out of the house._

_Outside, I was treated to a gruesome scene. Every building was on fire, and the sky was erupting with flame, raining down on my town. It was the oddest thing I'd ever experienced in my life. Was it a rampaging Charizard? That would explain the fire and draconic roars. I was almost mesmerized by the blazing sky. Or was it perhaps a natural forest fire? Or maybe something else? I had no time to consider the cause._

_My mother and I ran through the town, nothing in mind but getting as far away as we could. I heard screaming all through the town… but isn't that something to expect? I knew that some of my friends were in those fires, friends I'd never see again. The place I had lived my whole life was now burning to the ground._

_But I had no time to think as a wall of fire erupted before us._

...

Reshiram was trying to cheer me up as we rode the bullet train to Johto. "_**Marcus, you must understand that not everything will go perfectly in this war. We are facing the first real threat to the universe since Cyrus, and even he was defeated. It matters not whether TDA gets three orbs of, and I don't mean to speak ill of my coworkers, rather unimportant Legendaries.**_" Reshiram consoled. It did little to help my mood.

"Did you see how easily TDA and Giratina swept through us!? We're clearly outmatched! And it's not like you were doing anything to help the situation! Those birds did more than you!" I whispered loudly, not wanting to attract the attention of anyone else on the train. Reshiram sighed and looked away from me. She had a sorrowful expression, and I felt a little guilty for what I said to her.

"_**I… was in much the same position as you. I couldn't move, couldn't act. But whereas you could not place that feeling, I knew what had caused it. It was Giratina.**_" Reshiram said. Giratina… That was the thing that protected TDA. I'd never seen or heard of anything like it. Was it a Legendary? Or perhaps something more?

"Wait… What even is Giratina?" I asked. Reshiram lowered her head.

"_**He is unknown to most of the world, and only those who truly delve into the Legendaries will find out about him. Long ago, when the universe was new, Arceus created three Pokemon to balance the universe. Dialga was created to balance time, Palkia to balance space, and Giratina to balance matter with its opposite, antimatter. While not even Legendaries are aware as to why, Giratina began to violently rebel against Arceus, causing him to be banished to a world where time and space are arbitrary, where water flows upward, where one can walk sideways. This world is known as the Distortion World, and it serves to imprison Giratina.**_" Reshiram explained to me.

"So then how did he get released?"

"_**Something, likely TDA, broke the seal. Full of wrath and hatred, Giratina now seeks to overthrow Arceus and become the new Alpha Pokemon.**_"

"But why does he have such an effect on you and I?"

"_**Giratina is greatly feared among even Legendaries. Even his mere presence is enough to make a Legendary falter.**_" Reshiram said. But what now? Reshiram hadn't even told me why we were heading to Johto, and it's not like going there would do anything.

"Why are we going to Johto anyway?" I asked. Reshiram looked back at me.

"_**Kanto is a largely unimportant region in relation to the Legendaries.**_" She started. "_**As such, I used it as a sort of 'warm up' for you. A place to dip your feet into what we'll be dealing with while not drawing any attention. Heh, Kanto is the punchline of many jokes amongst us Legendaries.**_" She looked back out the window. "_**In Johto, things are more important, but not overly so. Lugia and Ho-Oh are regional gods, and don't account for some earthly or universal force in the way that Legendaries like Groudon, Xerneas, Dialga, and myself do. Because of this, TDA won't be quite as cautious as he would be if he were trying to take the orbs in Hoenn or Unova.**_" She said. I nodded my head in understanding. I felt better, knowing that we had a clear idea of who we were dealing with now. In Kanto, we couldn't plan for TDA as we didn't know what to expect, but now we have a better idea of what he is and what he is capable of. We'd just need to find a way to get an advantage over him...

"Got it. Let's give this everything we've got." I said confidently. Reshiram smiled and looked at Sammy and Grace, who were seated opposite from us.

"_**I must apologize. We didn't even ask how you felt about the matter.**_" Reshiram said. Sammy piped up.

"I wanna see all the regions in the world! I can't wait to go to Johto!" He said in his signature optimistic attitude, likely not listening to much of what we just said. I chuckled, not expecting any other response. Grace also took this opportunity to voice her feelings.

"Well… I've heard Johto is a pretty interesting place… I hear it has wonderful scenery, so I'm excited to see what's there…" Grace said softly. She'd been quiet since we saved her. I mean, I didn't really expect her to get over such a traumatizing event so quickly. But this may hinder her ability to fight, which we witnessed in Kanto. I'd have to also devise a way to get Sammy stronger, and make Grace more assertive. In any case, I tried to cheer her up.

"It's the site of Ecruteak City, which is known for its old styled architecture, and the Whirlpool Islands, an extensive cave network off the coast of Johto." I replied. Grace smiled.

"It sounds lovely…" She said. Just then an announcement came over the speakers.

"Attention all passengers. We have officially entered Johto. We will arrive in Goldenrod City in approximately thirty minutes. Reshiram quit staring out the window and turned to all of us.

"_**Welcome to Johto.**_"

…

"That was so easy!" I yelled in excitement. Giratina laughed flying around the distorted landscape of this prison world, which now served as our base of operations.

"_**I'm glad that went so well. Not that I was expecting much from those Birds.**_" Giratina said, continuing to laugh. His expression became a little more serious and he eyed me. "_**But do not let this get to your head. The Legendaries up ahead will be much stronger.**_" I stood up and walked along some nearby floating rocks while Giratina trailed me.

"I'm well prepared for that. With you by my side, we'll be able to eradicate any foe in our way." I said. I grabbed the bag that the orbs rested in. "I think I'll leave all the orbs we collect here until the time is right." I wasn't worried about losing the orbs, because the Distortion World is also an extension of Giratina. What this means is that Giratina is omnipresent in the Distortion World, so he can easily retrieve anything inside it.

"_**An excellent gesture. I believe we're due for Johto next?**_" Giratina asked. I nodded.

"Yes. It's the next logical step forward."

"_**But they'll likely be expecting that.**_" Giratina said. I laughed.

"You know very well that I'm aware of that! Besides, it's not like they've seen _all_ our little tricks. We have so many more options at our disposal if necessary." I outstretched my hands in an eccentric fashion. I hate to admit it, but I am rather prone to doing these sorts of things when I get excited. "I won't let these pitiful creatures stand in my way anymore! This universe has been flawed for far too long!" I grinned, staring out at the expanse of this weird world before turning to Giratina. "I have suffered too long! _You_ have suffered too long! I will make a universe in which things are perfect, where things are moral, where everyone gets what's coming to them! _A universe where you don't have to be trapped in this hellhole of a world! I will travel to the ends of our world if I have to!_**" **I yelled, brimming with ecstasy. Giratina smiled broadly.

"_**And I will follow you. To the ends of your world.**_"

…

"Zekrom, what's the status?" I asked my black dragon friend as I mounted him to prepare for flight.

"_**We will reach Bell Tower in around one day.**_" Zekrom replied in his husky male voice.

"Really now? Damn, I forgot how far Unova is from Johto." But what was I expecting? Johto was literally on the other side of the world from Unova.

"_**Yes, Sarah. I may be a Legendary, but even I have my limits when it comes to things like speed.**_" I chuckled and looked at Zekrom teasingly.

"Just don't grow weak on me. A situation as severe as this needs the Legendaries, both human and Pokemon, to be their strongest." Zekrom looked at me with mock anger.

"_**You mean to insult me? I could strike you down with lightning right now if I wanted to!**_" I smiled smugly, preparing to remind my Legendary of something I often held over his head.

"But we both know you won't do that. I'm too valuable now, as a Legendary human. You chose me, so now you get to deal with the consequences." Zekrom rolled his eyes and crossed his arms.

"_**What have I gotten myself into?**_" He said. It was all in good fun of course, I could tell that Zekrom thought very highly of me. It was just a part of our relationship, just friends teasing friends, even if he didn't like to admit it. "_**But I should inform you of something. There's someone in Johto that might be able to assist us.**_" I tilted my head. Who could it be? A Johto Legendary?

"Who is it?" Zekrom smiled slightly, as if remembering a fond memory.

"_**As you know, I am part of the Tao Trio of Legendaries. I am the Dragon of Ideals and Lightning. Reshiram, the Dragon of Truth and Fire, is my polar opposite and Kyurem, the Dragon of Nothingness and Ice, is our mediator. Reshiram recently chose a Legendary human. She was always pretty slow on that front, Kyurem and I had chosen years before.**_" Zekrom looked up at the sky. "_**Reshiram is in Johto. I can feel it. I want to see how my… other half is doing with her new Legendary human. It's been a while since I've caught up with my fellow trio members, what with Kyurem being so reclusive and Reshiram always wandering.**_" I raised my eyebrows in interest. We were going to meet Reshiram's human? And a recently chosen one at that? It was always fun seeing new recruits, not knowing what they were doing.

"Well, I guess I'll have to guide him. I mean, that's Reshiram's job, but sometimes you need a y'know… _human_ perspective." Zekrom nodded in agreement.

"_**As godly as us Legendaries are, some of us still have a… poor understanding of humans. It would be nice for this human to get help from a peer.**_"

"Well what are we sitting around here for? Let's head to Bell Tower!" I said. Oh, but I needed to get my Pokemon! I turned around and whistled. "Snek! We're leaving now!" I yelled. My Servine heard me and slithered towards Zekrom before jumping into my bag.

"Ready to go, Ssssssarah." Snek said. I grinned.

"We're ready? Great, let's go!"

And with that, Zekrom blasted off into the sky.


	8. The Whirl Islands

Chapter Seven: The Whirl Islands.

"_**Marcus… Marcus…**_" A voice whispered to me. I stirred in my bed for a moment, but eventually resolved to go back to sleep. "_**Marcus!**_" The voice yelled. I jumped out of my bed, startled as hell. Looking around in mild panic, I eventually landed my eyes on Reshiram and realized what was happening. I had checked into a hotel the second we arrived in Goldenrod and had promptly fallen asleep.

"Hehe, sorry. I was a bit tired from yesterday…" I apologized. Reshiram let out a slight chuckle.

"_**That is fine. Just try to get used to these… strenuous days.**_" She replied. Before I could respond, a light force jumped onto my leg. As usual, it was just Sammy.

"Marcus! You're awake!" He yelled excitedly. I simply smiled and patted his head, accustomed to this behavior. From the hotel room's bathroom, Grace walked out, her hair still wet from her shower. She was rather dirty from the fight yesterday.

"Good morning, Marcus…" She greeted softly. I waved at her.

"Morning, Grace." I replied in a friendly tone. She smiled and went to the kitchen to mix up some berries for breakfast. Sammy evidently caught the scent of the berries and quickly rushed over to help himself to some. I turned back to Reshiram.

"So… what's next?" I asked. "We do need to have some sort of game plan for how to move forward.

"_**We are to head for the Whirl Islands, the resting place of Lugia. He is the creator of the Legendary Birds of Kanto, and one of Johto's main Legendaries. He may be able to assist us in dealing with TDA's acquisition of his children's orbs.**_" Reshiram replied.

"Wait, so we can do something about our loss in Kanto? If Lugia overrides the birds, then why did we even visit the Birds in the first place?"

"_**As I told you, we were there to train you for the journey. We knew that TDA would attack the birds, but we never anticipated that he would overwhelm us so easily. If he were sufficiently weaker than what he turned out to be, then we could have simply stopped him there. Clearly, that did not turn out to be the case.**_" I nodded.

"I guess so… In any case, we need to head there quickly. Would I be correct in assuming that TDA would attack Lugia next?"

"_**As Lugia has the power to stop the birds if TDA were to gain control of them, I would say he is a prime target.**_"

"Then we'll just have to get there before he does!" I turned to Sammy and Grace, whom were still eating. "Get ready, guys! We're heading out soon." Reshiram glared at me.

"_**Marcus. You aren't even dressed yet. Focus on yourself first.**_" I laughed nervously, embarrassed.

"O-Oh. Sorry about that."

…

After a tedious morning routine, lengthy bus ride to Olivine City, and another boat ride to the Whirl Islands, we were finally ready to carry out our mission. The captain of the boat wished for us to stay to Whirl Islands' designated public trails, so as not to disturb any wild Pokemon or Lugia himself. Of course, we wouldn't be listening to any of that.

The Whirl Islands themselves were surprisingly treacherous outside of the trails. Reshiram had noted my look of apprehension upon seeing the unstable ledges we'd have to cross. "_**It is a Legendary's domain. It would defeat the purpose if these sacred grounds were violated so easily.**_" Reshiram told me. I mean, I guess she has a point, but I didn't see why she couldn't help me traverse the terrain. Again, she looked at me like I was stupid. "_**It would hinder your progress. There will be times where not even I can help you.**_" I couldn't muster a response to that.

A few wild Pokemon stared at us along the way, but didn't seem to mind us. If I were to guess, I'd say it was because they felt Reshiram's presence. Either that, or the Pokemon of Whirl Islands were more subdued due to their closeness to Lugia. Other than that, it was similar to how Cerulean Cave was, a lack of action. Were all Legendary locations like this, or just some of them? Or was it just a coincidence? I'd only been to two, anyway, so it wasn't like I could generalize.

In any case, we continued our journey to the deepest part of these underwater caverns. As we drew closer to our destination, the rushing of water grew louder. "Marcus! I hear waterfalls!" Sammy said, as if I hadn't already put that together. After a few more minutes of walking, we rounded a corner to a large chamber. It had a large lake in the center, two waterfalls pouring into it. In front of the lake, a pretty sacred looking bell stood.

"It's beautiful…" Grace said, looking at the water.

"I'm gonna jump in it!" Sammy yelled, running towards the water. I had to grab him before he could get in.

"_**Ring the bell.**_" Reshiram simply said. Trusting in the judgement of my divine companion, I obeyed. The bell's vibrations caused the water in the lake to ripple. At first, it was a natural ripple, as if someone had softly touched the surface of the water. But the ripples started to become more intense, eventually causing some of the water to splash us.

A vaguely avian shape began to rise from the bottom of the lake. Its presence only caused the water to ripple more violently, and as it neared the surface, some of the water began to… float? The water was organizing itself into multiple spires, rising from the surface to the ceiling.

Eventually, the avian cut through the lake's surface. It was a large, white bird, with wings that more closely resembled paddles or even hands than actual wings. It's eyes were masked by strips of blue, which appeared to serve no functional purpose other than decoration. It also had a tail, which had little spikes protruding from it. And even though it was a bird, it lacked feathers, and instead had smooth skin, likely for efficient swimming. It opened its eyes and looked straight at me.

"_**Hello, Marcus. Oh, and hello my colleague, Reshiram.**_" it said. I was in a weird mixture of awe and terror at such a massive creature. Reshiram was big in her own right but Lugia was massive. His things over his eyes made it look like he was constantly glaring, which didn't sit well with me. However, I was on a mission, and I needed to see it through, regardless of my emotions.

"H-Hello, Lugia…" I nervously replied. It lowered itself into the water, so that the lower portion of its body was submerged in liquid.

"_**I can sense why you are here. You want me to undo TDA's effects on my children.**_" Lugia said calmly.

"Y-Yes. We don't want him getting any leverage on us." I replied. Lugia smiled grimly.

"_**It will be difficult for me to do so. Even though I oversee the Legendary Birds, I do not have complete jurisdiction over them, though most believe I do.**_" Lugia looked to the side. "_**Not that most parents have complete jurisdiction over their children for that matter.**_" I frowned. What now? Not only did we waste several hours of time just coming here, but TDA still had those orbs. "_**I sense your disappointment. Do not fear. While I cannot get the orbs myself, there is a way to obtain them.**_" I raised my eyebrows in interest.

"G-Go on."

"_**It is likely that TDA will attack Johto next. Knowing this, we can plan a surprise attack against him. I have a close associate, you know her as Ho-oh. She commands a trio of three beast Pokemon, known fittingly enough as the Legendary Beasts. With Ho-oh and I's strength, as well as the strength of the Legendary Beasts, we could be able to counteract TDA.**_" Reshiram stepped forward.

"_**But Lugia! Giratina is allied with him. The Birds were completely ineffective against the two of them. What makes you believe that this will be any different?**_" Lugia glared at Reshiram and frowned slightly.

"_**You underestimate my power. Ho-oh and I may be mere Johto Legendaries, but we still have considerable power, exponentially higher than my children. Besides, what other plans do you have?**_" Reshiram opened her mouth to speak but quickly reconsidered and closed it.

"_**Fine. We'll play along.**_" Lugia nodded and turned back to me.

"_**Now then, if we were to carry this out, what would you personally suggest we do, Marcus?**_" I was taken aback by my sudden involvement in the conversation. I mean, why would a Legendary seek the input of a human? Lugia noticed this and laughed. "_**I heard you and Reshiram talking on the way in. You're completely dependent on her for everything. If I were to guess, you've probably been blindly following Reshiram's orders the whole time, without thinking for yourself. I want to see what you can come up with.**_" Lugia glared at Reshiram. "_**Without your help.**_"

"W-Well, we could all meet up somewhere other than the Whirl Islands or Bell Tower. That way we won't risk TDA or Giratina damaging your homes. W-We'd also get some extra time to prepare, as TDA will likely search here or at Bell Tower first." I really didn't know what the fuck I was saying, yet Lugia seemed to approve.

"_**That's it. Though, to be fair, that was kind of easy to come up with. In either case, we'll need another player in the game.**_" Lugia turned his head to a nearby cave. "_**Damian! You are needed!**_" He yelled.

From the cave, someone jumped as if startled, accompanied by a little "Ah!". Quickly the person ran out of the cave and into the light. It was a young man with a skinny physique, around his early twenties. He had short silver hair and blue eyes, and had the tan skin tone that some in Johto and Kanto had.

"Dammit, Lugia! I was sleeping!" The man named Damian said. Lugia scowled at him.

"_**I told you that we may have guests today! You should have prepared yourself more adequately.**_" Damian rolled his eyes.

"Ok, ok. You should know by now that I'm not exactly quick on the uptake." Damian looked at us. "So... who are you?" I decided to speak up.

"I am Marcus, the Legendary human of Reshiram. This Oshawott here is Sammy and this Gardevoir is Grace. They are my Pokemon." Sammy jumped happily at the mention of his name, while Grace simply gave a soft wave at the mention of hers. Reshiram did not make any effort to greet Damian. Damian grinned.

"Ah, well, nice to meet you all." He looked at Lugia. "Anyways, what're we doing? Why are you even here?" Lugia only glared at him even harder.

"_**Did you even bother to listen when I was explaining this to you?**_" Damian didn't respond. I decided to save Lugia the frustration of repeating what he said.

"We're here to see if Lugia can help us deal with TDA." Damian's eyes widened. But, his shock subsided and he put his hand to his head.

"Ah shit, that guy. Yeah, Lugia said we're probably his next targets." Damian looked around at us. "Well then, what's your plan? And more importantly, what's my role in it?" Lugia grinned widely, yet his eyes had a tint of sorrow in them.

"_**I think you'll find your role rather exciting, Damian. **_"


	9. The Rainbow Bird

"How much further, Zekrom?" I asked.

"_**Five minutes. You have been asking this whole trip and has it been any help in getting us closer to our destination?**_" Zekrom asked, commenting on my admittedly persistent impatience. But who can blame me? You'd get impatient too if you were riding on a dragon's back for a day.

"Sssssarah… I sssseeee Ecruteak City in the dissssstance…" Snek informed. I squinted my eyes and looked ahead of me, and was able to distinguish the faint shadow of Bell Tower.

"Oh, good. We're almost there…"

"_**I said we'd be there in five minutes…**_"

"Whatever. I know we're not supposed to land right at the top though. Stupid Legendary customs… I know we're supposed to get 'the full experience' by journeying through a Legendary's territory, but with TDA around is this really the time for customs?" Zekrom glared at me.

"_**It is not up to me. It is a rule us Legendaries follow. You should know this.**_"

"I think it'sssssssss pretty ssssssssstupid if you assssssk me…" I laughed and motioned to high five Snek… but he didn't have arms.

"You tell him, Snek! You could stand to loosen up more, Zekrom." Zekrom just rolled his eyes.

"_**Whatever. We're almost there anyways, so I'd appreciate it if you would abstain from further insults.**_" I put up my hands defensively, which probably wasn't a good idea considering I was several thousand feet above the ground and was practically clinging to Zekrom.

"Fine, fine. I'll abide by your rules… for the time being." I added a playful chuckle after that last part.

"_**Geh. Why did I get stuck with you two?**_"

"You love us and you know it."

…

The Bell Tower didn't live up to its reputation. Even though it was supposed to be the most sacred place in Johto, and entrance was usually denied to all except monks and a select few trainers, the inside past the lobby looked similar to an abandoned building. The stability of the pillars were questionable at best and there were several holes in the floor. Zekrom said that Bell Tower had been like this for a long time, as the locals had a non interference policy with sacred ground. If the great god Ho-oh did not wish for it, then it would not be so.

"Pheh, great god Ho-oh? She's barely important in the grand scheme of things. Wait, what does she do again?"

"_**Making fun of Legendaries in their own territory is a pretty low blow, Sarah.**_"

"But I've been making fun of you since I first met you in Dragonspiral Tower."

"_**That is besides the point, show a little respect. Not every Legendary is as accommodating to your personality as I am.**_"

Not dignifying that with a response, we continued up the tower. Aside from a few stray Pokemon, the tower was rather empty, which was usual for Legendary locations. Yet after a long ascent, we reached the final ladder. Even though I had been in contact with other Legendaries, I still felt uneasy every time I met one. Maybe it was their size, or divinity, or some other factor that made me feel this way.

In any case, I climbed up. As the bright blue sky became visible and I finished my ascent, I noticed the glaring sight of a roosting rainbow colored bird. It was massive and it's eyes were fixed on me. No doubt it was waiting for me.

"_**Welcome, Sarah. Did you enjoy your ascent? We're a rather isolated sacred site, but I do hope that you enjoyed the scenery.**_" The bird, Ho-oh, said. I decided it would be best to follow Zekrom's advice and not comment about my dissatisfaction with the location.

"_**Do not hide your thoughts from me. I can read your mind, remember?**_" Gah… I always forget that part.

"_**How could you forget that detail? I can read your mind as well.**_" Zekrom chimed in. I tried to scold Zekrom put Ho-oh put up a talon, indicating me to focus on the task at hand.

"_**We are dealing with things far greater than the petty quarrels of a human and her Legendary. If we could continue in peace, that would be appreciated.**_" She said.

"What plan do we even have? We were kind of hoping you'd have something."

"_**I regret to inform you that Lugia is the tactician in this duo, not me. However, with the help of a Legendary human from the Unova region, Lugia has formulated a strategy that we feel will be effective.**_" I was pretty confused for a moment on how she was able to talk to Lugia from this distance, but quickly remembered a principle common among Legendaries.

"Oh yeah, he'd be able to communicate with you telepathically. I was about to question why you knew this, but what bright idea have you two birds hatched up?"

"_**TDA exhibits extreme power when combined with Giratina's strength. From this, we can infer that he is able to best individual Legendaries or groups of minor ones. That is why all of the Legendaries of Johto will come together in one location to attack TDA. Lugia and Damian, his human, will lure him to that area. Then, I will bring my children, the Legendary Beasts, there and confront him.**_"

"So we'll bring him into our trap and then overpower him." I smirked. "Pretty good plan for a few unimportant gods."

"_**Quell your insolence, human. We still have another factor in play. My Legendary human will assist in the fight. And you shall help us.**_" Ho-oh looked at the sky. "_**Lin! Come to me!**_" From behind me, I heard something climb the ladder. Turning around, I saw a girl in a long flowing dress native to the region. She had tons of makeup that made her face look pale, and she had pink blotches on her face to resemble blush marks. Her black hair was also put up in a ridiculous style. Something about this aesthetic seemed familiar to me, and then it dawned on me.

"You're a Kimono Girl!" I blurted. She nodded and bowed.

"Yes. I am Lin, current leader of the Kimono Girls. I am Ho-oh's chosen human." Lin said in a serious and professional voice. Ho-oh looked at her expectantly.

"_**Are you prepared, Lin?**_"

"Yes, Ho-oh." Ho-oh turned to me, glaring harshly at Snek and I.

"_**If you are done with your insolence, then let's move on. TDA will be arriving at the Whirl Islands shortly.**_"

"But I don't even know where we're going! You still haven't told me." Ho-oh smiled.

"_**Just follow me.**_"


	10. The Johto Battleground

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I split this shit into four parts on Fanfiction.net. Here, I'll just make it one chapter.

"What do we got, Giratina?" I asked my draconic companion. He surveyed the dark, grimy cave that we had found ourselves in for a moment.

"_**There is one aura that stands out from those of the copious amounts of wild Pokemon. It is likely to be either Lugia, or his human.**_" I was puzzled. Why only one? Shouldn't both of them be here? Giratina was as perplexed as I was, judging by the suspicious glare he donned. "_**Be careful.**_" He warned. I nodded and continued walking deeper into the cave.

"So this is the Whirl Islands? It's certainly not the grand, sacred abode of Lugia all those old books built it up to be." I noted. Giratina jerked his head.

"_**Typical humans, always elevating those they perceive as above them. This is why descriptions of Legendaries are always overblown.**_" Giratina replied dully. I nodded, unsurprised.

"I've definitely noticed that behavior myself." A Krabby scuttled by and stopped in front of us. Giratina eyed it with an almost dumbfounded expression, as if he were surprised a Pokemon would just suddenly approach me. After a moment, its eyes widened in fear and it scuttled away. I smiled. "Of course. It must have sensed your presence, Giratina." Giratina sighed.

"_**Of course. It doesn't surprise me that I'd give off an aura that induces fear in wild Pokemon.**_" Giratina said, implying that he didn't know of this ability beforehand. I didn't reply and kept walking.

About an hour passed before we came upon a ladder. Giratina tapped my shoulder. "_**He's down there.**_" He said via telepathy.

"_Noted. Let's be careful not to alert him._" I replied. Giratina hid himself in the darkness, the only sign of his presence being his glowing red eyes.

"_**I will remain up here, unless you need me. It would be exceptionally hard to sneak in with… a being possessing my form.**_" I nodded, and proceeded down the ladder and into the floor below me.

I entered a spacious room, with two massive waterfalls pouring into a lake, and a deep one by the looks of it. In front of the lake was a massive bell, likely used in whatever pathetic rituals Lugia had dedicated to him. Yet the most glaring (and important) sight was a man standing in front of the bell, Lugia's human. He simply stood there, unmoving. Was he in the middle of a ritual? Was he spaced out? Or was this a trap of some kind? Cautiously, I moved toward him as silently as I could, ready to call Giratina if needed. As I drew closer, he didn't show any signs of noticing me. Not letting my guard down, I pulled out a small knife. Truth be told, I tend to avoid killing when I can, and I intended to follow through here. The knife was simply a tool to extort the orb out of him.

In a split second, the man turned around and punched me square in the face. I yelled in pain and surprise and staggered back. "G-Giratina!" I yelled. Wasting no time, Giratina maneuvered his shadowy body down into the large chamber. The man grinned and laughed.

"Well now, you must be the one they call TDA. Name's Damian!" He greeted in a cocky manner. I began fuming with anger. Did he think he had the advantage over me? _Did this insignificant dog think he had the advantage over me just because he was able to land a cheap punch!?_

But there it was again, my temper. I couldn't let it get to me now, not when I was dealing with something this important. I don't want to kill this guy before I can get any information out of him. I need to stay calm and focus on the mission, because I am better than this, and I'm certainly better than these creatures. I focused my attention on this filthy servant of Arceus.

"I don't see the point in dignifying you with a greeting. You know very well what I'm here for. If you could simply give it to me, then I won't need to hurt you." I stated in the calmest manner I could manage. The animal began to double over laughing, as if I had just informed him of a rather embarrassing secret. This wasn't doing wonders for my temper. No, it was actually pushing it closer to its breaking point, the point where I could kill this man out of pure rage. Doesn't he know this? Shouldn't he be more careful? But another thought came to my mind that angered me even more. _Did he still think he had an advantage? _He stopped laughing.

"You won't find the orb here, TDA. They took it and left." That was the breaking point. I grabbed him by his neck and pulled him close.

"Who took it!? Tell me, you filthy dog!" I yelled. I could sense Giratina getting uneasy. Clearly, this insolent servant was angering him as well.

"Lugia and Marcus took it. It was actually part of this big plan to outwit you." He laughed. "You really should have been there." He added mockingly.

I was beyond furious. I refused to believe that Arceus' servants could outwit me! "Giratina, do you sense the orbs presence? Look carefully now, its aura is a little harder to detect." I said, trying my best to keep calm. Giratina spaced out for a bit, likely trying to find the orb, before looking at me with an astonished face.

"_**I… I can't find it. It isn't here…**_" I looked back at the deceitful dog, my rage burning with the strength of a million stars. I punched him in the stomach as hard as I could, eliciting a pitiful grunt of pain followed by a coughing fit. While he was coughing on the ground, I kicked him several times, each kick harder than the last one. This piece of shit… Marcus met him? Damnit! I thought he'd be discouraged after the incident at Cerulean Cave. He banded together with Lugia and this man?

No! I refuse to accept this! I refuse to believe that one of Arceus' dogs managed to get the upper hand! _I will not be tricked by Arceus again!_

But I had to stay calm. After all, this was only a minor setback. Yes, yes, I could still find Marcus, and I could still get the orb. This was only delaying the inevitable creation of a new world, merely a pitiful struggle against the tides of change. But I can't let this man get away with the mockery he made of me…

"Giratina." I said blankly. Giratina looked at me expectantly.

"_**Yes, TDA?**_" He replied. I grinned widely and looked at him.

"You thinking what I'm thinking?" I asked. Giratina grinned as well. I looked back at the animal that made a fool out of me, noticing his confused expression.

"_**I can read your mind, so I know exactly what you're thinking.**_" Giratina's tentacles extended towards Lugia's dog. "_**I'm happy to inform you that I'm more than willing to carry out your will.**_" In an instant, all of Giratina's tentacles pierced him, holding him up in the air as if he were a trophy. Lugia's servant yelled in pain and struggled a bit, before going limp.

Yet he was still alive. I could see him slowly grin and turn his head toward me. "Heh… Hehehe… Damn, that hurt…" He muttered, giggling in between words. "Hurt pretty good too. I haven't felt pain like that in a while." Then his body started turning to dust and flaking away. He simply looked at this as if it were a distant event, something that didn't affect him. "Well then… Looks like my age is catching up to me." The animal looked at me. "I've lived quite a while TDA. I mean, Legendary humans do need to live on timescales relating to the Legendaries. We wouldn't be much use if we shriveled up and died within sixty years, a mere blink of an eye for these gods." He paused to laugh. "I've been alive for three hundred fucking years, TDA. Do you know what that's like for a mere human?" He asked, as if I could answer such a question. When I didn't respond, he simply laughed again.

"Whatever. That doesn't really matter now, does it?" He looked at one of the waterfalls. "No, all that matters is that Marcus has had more time to prepare. He's a good kid, and he'll definitely make a fine Legendary human." Giratina pushed his tentacles further into this filthy dog, causing him to yelp in pain. His body was almost entirely dust now, only his head and torso retaining a complete form. He waved at me, the arm still flaking away into the chambers of the cave.

"Hey, TDA. If you see Lin, tell her I'll be back for her!" He grinned and began to laugh. "I'll be back TDA, someday, sometime, even if none of us realize it! What're you waiting for, the exits that way! Go on, get out of here! I'm dying anyway!" He said in between laughs. At this point, only his head, bearing his wide grin, remained. "See you on the flipside, TDA. It was nice to meet you!" He said as his head dissolved into dust. Giratina removed his tentacles, causing the clothes the dog once wore to fall to the ground, his dust being the only indicator that any being ever wore them.

"And that's that." I said blankly, glaring at the animals clothing.

"_**It would appear so.**_" I turned around and started heading for the exit of the cave, beckoning Giratina to follow me.

"The second we get outside, check for any and all Legendary signatures, and concentrate hard. I want to get this over with as fast as we are able to."

"_**Of course.**_" I sighed and looked back at the dust filled clothing. Somewhere in my heart, a pang of guilt etched its way into my consciousness. But no… I couldn't allow myself to feel sorry for these creatures. They were causing the people of this world to suffer the injustice of Arceus, and I could not forgive that. Giratina and I are all that matter. No god will cause us to suffer anymore.

"Let's get the hell out of here."

...

"Are you sure this'll work?" I asked Lugia.

"_**Not with that attitude. Now quiet, Marcus. Ho-oh should be arriving shortly.**_" I rolled my eyes. Lugia was initially this intimidating being of raw power, but when it really boiled down to it, he was just a sarcastic, laid back individual. Kinda like that one guy that accompanied him… What was his name again?

It didn't matter. I was still unsure of whether Lugia's plan was airtight. He dragged us out here, to some isolated clearing in Ilex Forest, so that TDA would be fighting us in an area relatively far from populated locations. On top of that, he left Damian at the Whirl Islands to buy us some time, while TDA dealt with him. On the surface, it was a fine plan. Ilex Forest was far from the Whirl Islands, so it would take a while for Giratina and TDA to get here once they found out we made off with the orb. That would also give us time for Ho-oh to arrive with her human.

Yet something still bothered me. I felt that Giratina and TDA might still have things up their sleeves, something that could throw off our entire plan. But I knew that there was no point in worrying about this, since we couldn't possibly plan for the unknowns of TDA's power.

I hadn't had much time to train Sammy and Grace, so I let them spar while we waited for Ho-oh to arrive. Grace was obviously the more capable fighter, so Sammy was having a hard time doing much of anything to her. At least he was still honing his skills, albeit in a rather lopsided battle. It was nowhere near the training we needed, but it was a start.

My stream of thought was interrupted by a shrill voice coming from a familiar Oshawott, who had suddenly stopped battling. "Marcus! Look up there! It's a colorful bird!" I looked up to where he was pointing and saw what Sammy had described, a rainbow bird (never mind the fact it was actually mostly red). However, there was another being flying behind it, a black dragon that looked kind of like… Reshiram? Next to me, Reshiram suddenly inhaled in surprise.

"_**Zekrom!? Why is he here!? He didn't tell me he was coming!**_" Reshiram said, her eyes widening in shock. Wait, did she say Zekrom…?

My eyes widened as I fully took in the realization that Zekrom, another member of the Tao trio was on his way, likely with his human in tow. I was still incredibly anxious at the prospect of meeting another Legendary human in my trio. I didn't have time to fully process this as Lugia unveiled another surprise.

"_**They aren't even all of the guests.**_" Lugia said. Just then, three four legged Pokemon burst from the bushes. I jumped and fell to the ground, as they were on a direct collision course to me, but they quickly stopped in their tracks. The three Pokemon looked vaguely canid… or maybe felid? They were bestial in any case. They bore similar coloring to the Legendary Birds. There was a blue one, with a weird crystal thing on its head. Then there was a brown and red dog thing, with a gray sort of mask on its face. Then we had a yellow tiger like creature with purple cloud like appendages on its haunches. I looked at them, bewildered. The blue Pokemon noticed this and laughed.

"_**Please don't be afraid of us. We're here to help you.**_" The blue Pokemon said in a light feminine voice. I eased up, as I began to recognize these Pokemon as the Legendary Beasts of Johto. The yellow tiger was Raikou, master of electricity. The red dog like creature was Entei, master of fire and said to create volcanoes. The blue creature was Suicune, said to bring the north wind with her everywhere she goes. I felt stupid for not realizing who they were sooner, especially given their rather iconic appearance.

"O-Oh, well hello there, Suicune." I laughed, standing up. "I'm sorry I acted so scared there. I didn't recognize you for a moment." I said, laughing nervously. Suicune just laughed while the other two Beasts glared at me.

"_**Suicune, I don't appreciate you being so free spirited around a human.**_" Raikou said. Entei huffed in agreement.

"_**I agree. How do you know whether this human is trustworthy?**_" He said. Suicune just rolled her eyes and pointed to Reshiram.

"_**Probably because he's with that dragon thing. Isn't it a Legendary like us? I don't know about you, but I'm pretty sure Ho-oh mentioned something like that one time.**_" She said. Neither Raikou or Entei responded. I was just about to try and help Suicune clear things up, when Ho-oh and Zekrom abruptly landed in the forest clearing, taking me by surprise.

Ho-oh was massive, around Lugia's height. The Rainbow Bird had brilliant red feathers and multicolored plumage, as well as a serious gaze, giving it an appearance that lived up to its majestic nature.

Zekrom was a little smaller than Reshiram, but still pretty close in height. He looked more foreboding and sinister than Reshiram's almost angelic appearance, sporting a pitch black body and glowing red eyes.

On top of Ho-oh, a beautiful woman sat. She had traditional Johto clothing and black hair done in a weird style, kinda like those Kimono girls I'd heard about in magazines. She had a very aloof expression and looked like she wasn't fully paying attention to her surroundings. Yet this made her also seem majestic, much like the Legendary she accompanied. Overall, she was the spitting image of what one might consider traditional culture.

Zekrom also had a woman seated on top of him, but she looked more rowdy, playful, and overall laid back, in stark contrast from what was presumably Ho-oh's human.. Her black hair was unkempt, and she looked as though she hadn't slept in a while. She had a bag with her, containing a Servine, who was patiently eyeing their surroundingsShe looked at me with a lazy grin on her face.

"Heya, Marcus! It's about time I met you, seeing as your the newest member of the trio!" She said. I was taken aback by her sudden greeting, already beginning to sweat. I was already nervous, and I wasn't even thirty seconds into the conversation!

"W-Wait, how do you know my name?" I asked. She laughed and shook her head vigorously as she dismounted Zekrom.

"Gah, I haven't even introduced myself yet. I'm Sarah, the Legendary human of Zekrom." I stepped back. Why was she here? What did she want with me? Reshiram was just as surprised as I was, as noticeable by her eyeing of Zekrom. After a moment, she approached him warily, as if he might erupt into a violent rage.

"_**Zekrom… It's been quite a while, hasn't it?**_" Zekrom smiled and nodded his head.

"_**It has. Too long of a while come to think of it.**_" The two dragons slowly walked up to each other, then suddenly embraced. I saw a tear roll down Reshiram's face.

"_**I-I haven't seen you since…**_" Reshiram started before Zekrom interrupted her.

"_**We can talk about it later. As you used to constantly tell me, there are more pressing things to attend to.**_" Zekrom said with a hearty voice. Sarah stepped forward.

"Sorry to interrupt this touching reunion, but Marcus does need to know why the fuck we're here." She said. Zekrom gave her an annoyed glare, but conceded.

"_**Fine. We do need to prepare for TDA's arrival, and there will be plenty of time to catch up on things later. Though I should remind you that it is extremely rude to interrupt these types of things, Sarah.**_" Zekrom said, adding an extra edge to the last sentence. I wanted to ask Reshiram what her relationship to Zekrom was, besides being part of the same trio, but Zekrom had a point. We really did need to get a move on.

The woman who came in with Ho-oh stepped into the center of the crowd of Legendaries, both human and Pokemon alike. "Attention, everyone. I am Lin, Legendary human of Ho-oh. You have all been called here today to fulfill a special purpose. To be more specific, you are to help fulfill a plan. I devised this plan alongside my close friend Damian, and our respective Legendaries. If we are successful, we can deal a major blow to TDA, and retrieve the orbs he has taken from the Legendary Birds." Sarah started. She looked around to make sure we were listening to her.

"Damian was to stand by at the Whirl Islands, where TDA was likely to attack. Damian would then confront TDA in order to stall him. Angered, TDA would come and find us. When he finds us here, we will all use our Legendaries and Pokemon to fight him. He should be overwhelmed by our power, which will result in his retreat. In addition, we can attempt to retrieve the orbs of the Legendary Birds, which are currently in TDA's possession. We can then form a more coherent plan from there to take down TDA." This was the plan that Lugia told me about, and it sounded pretty solid, aside from my apprehensions earlier.. Even with a powerful, primordial being like Giratina, he couldn't stand up to all of us… could he?

"We will wait here. It will likely take a while, so try to get comfortable." Lin said. With that, everyone settled in. Sarah in particular just took her Servine and plopped herself on Zekrom and fell asleep. I can't blame her, since it was probably quite the trip. Besides, it wasn't like I wanted to talk to her anyway, what with my nervousness.

…

Hours had passed and the sun was beginning to set. The Legendary Beasts were keeping watch for TDA, with Raikou and Entei occasionally shooting me glares. Lin was growing increasingly distressed. When I asked her about it, she said that she was trying to check in with Damian via telepathy, but couldn't get a response. She said he's probably fine, and that he likes to mess with her, but noted that it was pretty cruel given the circumstances.

Other than Lin, I seemed to be the only one who was determined to honor my mission. Grace and Sammy had stayed up with me, and so had Reshiram. Sammy had been occupying himself by running around in the nearby bushes and spraying water at Reshiram every once in a while, much to her chagrin. Grace however had been rather distant. She has been like that since she first joined my team. I can't say I blame her, given her past experiences. I'd probably be the same way. But I need to find a way to make her more proactive, more involved in our mission. I considered training them more, but decided against it since they were pretty tired from their earlier session.

"_**You seem to imply Sammy is contributing more in comparison to Grace, as if Grace is the only problem with your team.**_" Reshiram responded sarcastically.

"_Shut up! Sammy is essentially a child at this point. I can't expect him to be able to do much._" I replied. Reshiram didn't respond. I was about to go back to patiently waiting, when Lin spoke up.

"He's here." She said. I jumped into a standing position, startled. Lugia and the Legendary Beasts all reared their heads, looking at Lin with apprehension. Reshiram and Zekrom simultaneously inhaled in tension. Sarah simply continued to sleep.

"H-How do you know that?" I asked.

"Kimono Girls are trained to sense the aura of living creatures. TDA is hiding behind those trees." She said, pointing to a small patch of trees. "Judging by his aura's current energy, he didn't plan on my ability to notice him."

"Do you really have to ruin my fun?" A familiar voice said. Every Legendary, as well as Lin and I looked towards the source. From behind the trees, camouflaged silhouettes slowly became the forms of TDA and his serpentine attendant, Giratina. TDA smiled smugly at us.

"Well, looks like we have quite the full house here, eh Giratina?" TDA said as he began to stroll about.

"_**It would appear so.**_" Giratina replied, his thick, shadowy tentacles beginning to extend.

"Let's see here, we have Lugia, Ho-oh, Reshiram, Zekrom, and the Beasts." TDA said, pointing to each individual. "This'll be quite a challenge." TDA snapped his fingers. "Giratina! Let's do this!"

"_**With pleasure!**_" Giratina's eyes began to glow bright red and his tentacles quickly extended to all of the Legendaries. The Beasts were instantly struck and all of them were sent flying into some nearby trees, causing them to fall to the ground. Zekrom quickly dodged them, with Sarah on his back. She immediately woke up and nearly fell off of Zekrom in shock.

"Shit! Zekrom, why didn't you wake me up?" Sarah yelled. Zekrom gritted his teeth.

"_**You shouldn't have fallen asleep to begin with! Look what we're dealing with!**_" Zekrom yelled back.

"I'm going to have to sssssside with Zekrom this time. You do need to be more careful." Sarah's Servine said. Sarah simply grunted as Zekrom flew higher to avoid Giratina.

The tentacles zoned in on Lugia and Ho-oh, but they quickly flew out of the way. The Legendary Beasts recovered and got into attack position. Lin pointed at TDA and Giratina.

"Everyone! Fire upon TDA!" Lin yelled. In that moment, every Legendary unleashed their attacks. The Beasts fired beams of their respective elements, Ho-oh shot fire from her beak, Lugia used some sort of psychic ability, Zekrom shot blue thunder and Reshiram shot fire from her mouth. Sarah commanded her Servine to use Razor Leaf, and I ordered Sammy and Grace to attack. My Pokemon weren't very successful though; Sammy fired a weak stream of water, and Grace was only able to muster a weak psychic energy. In any case, the attacks were all barrelling towards TDA at high speed and were sure to hit him.

However, Giratina quickly moved to shield him. The attacks collided and sent Giratina flying into a nearby tree, knocking it to the ground. Giratina moved weakly as he tried to get up. "_**Damn you…**_" Giratina grunted in pain. TDA rushed towards him.

"Giratina! Are you okay?" Giratina used it's tentacles to prop itself up into a floating position. Giratina smiled and shook itself, seemingly recovering from his injuries.

"_**I am a powerful Legendary, created at the dawn of the universe. It will take more than that to seriously harm me. This level of pain was no different than a human getting a single punch to the face, and a rather unimpressive one at that.**_"

"Well then…" TDA said, grinning and looking straight at us. "It seems we will have to resort to more… drastic measures."

"_**Yes. I agree.**_" Giratina said. In an instant, Giratina sped towards Ho-oh, and pinned it down with two of his tentacles, sending Lin flying off of her back and towards us.

"Lin! Are you ok?" I asked, helping her up. She had trouble standing up, but she was able to manage. Fortunately for us, it seemed that she only had minor injuries.

"I'm fine… just a few scratches…" She said with shaky breaths. Lugia yelled in anger and immediately fired upon Giratina, but Giratina was ready this time. He used the rest of his tentacles to fling the attacks at random trees. Then, his tentacles quickly swatted the godly Pokemon away from Ho-oh. The Legendary Beasts came running up to protect their creator.

"_**Get away from our mother, you demonic piece of shit!**_" Suicnue yelled as the three Beasts pounced upon Giratina. Yet, it was a futile effort as Giratina simply swatted them away like they were merely specs of dust. I knew I couldn't get any of my Pokemon to go after him after seeing that. They wouldn't stand a chance against him, especially if Lugia couldn't even land a blow on him.

Giratina looked at Ho-oh, who was flailing rapidly. "_**You're a minor Legendary. If we're being honest here, I can't even remember what your role is.**_" Giratina said with an air of condescension. "_**But I wonder… How many of you minor Legendaries have ever even heard of my name?**_ _**How many of you even knew of my existence prior to all of this.**_" Giratina's tentacles punctured into Ho-oh, but left no wounds. "_**What lengths has Arceus gone to forget about me!?**_" Giratina yelled. Just then, the tentacles dug deeper and Giratina seemed to… enter Ho-oh. Ho-oh began to cry out as Giratina's body disappeared into hers. Then, as quickly as it began, the fusion was complete. Giratina vanished into Ho-oh, and the rainbow bird fell limp.

Then, Ho-oh began to… stand up. A more accurate term would be that it clambered up onto it's two legs in a series of uncomfortable looking movements. Everyone slowly backed away from the scene, scared as to what might happen next. Then, it's eyes opened. They were glowing a bright red, and were oozing hatred. Then Ho-oh began to laugh a grim and hollow laugh.

"_**I don't even know why I'm surprised. Looking into her mind, it turns out that this Legendary indeed didn't know about me at all prior to all of this.**_" Ho-oh, or Giratina rather, yelled and shot a fireball into a nearby tree, causing it to burst into flame. "_**So you minor Legendaries don't know about me, huh!? Me, one of the most ancient beings in the universe!? Me, who contributed to creating this very world!? DIsgusting! Absolutely sickening!**_" Giratina yelled, throwing more fireballs in random directions. "_**Arceus sure was pretty damn determined to get rid of me if a Legendary doesn't even who I fucking am!**_" Giratina was breathing heavily in pure rage, and it looked as if he'd snap at any moment and unleash an inferno on the whole forest. TDA ran to Giratina's side, grinning.

"Easy now, Giratina. Don't let your temper get the best of you." TDA looked around at the burning trees and chuckled. "Well, maybe you should let it get to you a little bit." He jumped onto Giratina's back and pointed at Lugia. "Shall we start with him? His human caused quite a bit of annoyance." Giratina narrowed his eyes and launched a fireball at Lugia, knocking him to the ground. "I'll take that as a yes!" TDA said. He looked at all of us, grinning widely and laughing.

"Well then, let the games begin!"

Lin rushed to Lugia's side, kneeling beside him. "Lugia! Are you ok? Can you stand?" She asked with concern. Giratina launched another fireball at Lugia, once again directly hitting him.

"There's no use trying to help him. He will suffer the same fate as his human." TDA said looking to the side. "That filthy dog was more trouble than he was worth." Lin's eyes widened, and she stood up. She was slightly shaking, but whether it was with fear or anger, or because of her injuries, I couldn't tell.

"What.. What did you do with Damian…?" She asked softly. TDA looked at her coldly, his face expressing no emotion.

"We killed him." TDA said coldly. Lin gasped softly, tears already starting to well up in her eyes as she knelt to the floor. TDA grimaced in anger. "What did you expect to happen? You stationed that dog there by himself, without even his Legendary to protect him. There are two possibilities here, either that someone knew that this was a likely outcome, in which case he was nothing more than a sacrifice, or that all of you are simply terrible at formulating plans. I'm honestly not sure which option is more likely here." He said, glaring at Lin, her eyes filling with tears already. Lugia moved his head weakly.

"_**It was me... I asked him to stay at the Whirl Islands… knowing full well what would happen.**_" He said, his voice mournful and somber. But why? Lugia said that Damian would be fine, that he had fighting capabilities of his own or could flee at the first sign of trouble. Why would Lugia leave his human there? Lin was shocked by this, and she immediately backed away from Lugia. Then her face turned into one of seething rage, and she let Lugia have it.

"W-Why!? You said he would be fine! Why would you willingly put your human in danger!? Why would you put _my Damian_ in danger!?" She yelled. Lugia frowned and looked away, ashamed.

"_**He was actually the one that wanted this.**_" Lugia said. Lin's face changed back into one of surprise.

"But… Why?" She asked. Luiga paused a moment before speaking.

"_**For the past few years, Damian had repeatedly confided in me that he wanted to die. He had grown bored of his long lifespan, believing that he had seen everything the world had to offer. He wanted to 'go around again' as he put it, in a new body, a new life. This was the ideal time to make that happen.**_" Lugia explained to Lin.

I could see the exact moment Lin's soul shattered into a million pieces, the moment where her face lost all color. She was spaced out, lost in thought… or perhaps she was relieving memories of Damian? She was shaking more now, and looked like she might collapse or faint. Instead, she put her hands over her face, and knelt down as she began to cry softly.

And it all made sense now. When Lugia told Damian of what his role in our plan would be, his face had a hint of sorrow and his voice was shaky at times. But what was more telling was Damian's response. He grinned and laughed softly as he looked at Lugia. "_Thanks, Lugia._" He had said. I remember being off put by that response, as it was the only time in our short meeting that Damian had sounded serious.

And when we were leaving for Ilex Forest, Damian had looked at me and winked. "_See ya around, Marcus! It's a big world out there! Try to appreciate it, will you?_" He had said, before walking deeper into the cave. Again, it had confused me. But, with what Lugia had just told us, it made sense now. He was telling me to find worth where he couldn't. He wanted me to experience the world to the fullest, more than he cared enough to do. It must have pleased him, to see a young recruit like me, someone who still had a full life ahead of them. But none of that mattered, because Lin was still crying.

"B-But why…? W-Why couldn't he be happy with h-his life? W-Why wouldn't he be happy w-with me?" Lin said in between sobs. Lugia moved to say something, but another fireball interrupted him. He bellowed in pain and everyone turned back to TDA.

"I've had enough of this!" He snarled. Giratina flapped his wings, bringing him and TDA off of the ground. "Don't give me that shit!" He continued, pointing at Lin. "You didn't care about him! You'd abandon him if Arceus told you to, wouldn't you? You servants are all the same! You'd leave the ones you care about behind in a heartbeat! And why? Because the all powerful god told you to, that's why!" He snapped his fingers, and Giratina launched another fireball at Lugia. "Look at me, creature!" TDA said, pointing to Lin. She slowly looked him in the face. "Don't give me any of that grieving shit! _You did not truly care about him!_" He yelled.

I was beginning to boil with anger. How could such a person tell a grieving woman that she didn't truly love someone close to her? It was just sick! And the way he called her creature… like she wasn't even human to begin with! Tentacles burst out of Ho-oh's body, and I knew that Giratina was about to attack.

"_**We have to do something!**_" Reshiram said to me. I nodded and jumped onto her back, my anger and adrenaline overpowering my fear of flight.

"Sammy, Grace, get on!" I yelled. TDA heard me and looked over at us.

"Oh no you don't!" He yelled. Giratina prepared to launch a fireball, but he was struck by a bolt of lightning. I looked to the source to find Sarah on top of Zekrom, a fierce and determined look on her face. She looked at me and motioned towards Giratina.

"What're you waiting for? I gave you an opening!" She yelled. Quickly, Reshiram took off and beelined for Giratina, striking him straight in the stomach. Giratina grunted in pain and TDA tried desperately to avoid being knocked off of his mount.

"Gah!" He yelled, before reorienting himself. "You damn dogs!" He yelled, motioning for Giratina to launch more fireballs, this time at Sarah and Zekrom. Zekrom flew upwards to avoid them, the fireballs hitting the trees behind the pair. Giratina grunted in anger and charged them, causing Zekrom to attempt to avoid him. However, his efforts were in vain, as Giratina collided with Zekrom square in the stomach, sending the dragon and the woman riding him to the ground. Giratina and TDA landed in front of them.

"_**Well, Zekrom. Aren't you the Dragon of Ideals?**_" Giratina said to Zekrom, who simply glared back at him. "_**Your ideals clearly weren't enough.**_" Giratina's tentacles started extending further out of Ho-oh. "_**Perhaps that means that out ideals are superior to yours?**_" Reshiram began shaking with rage.

"_**Stay away from him, you monster!**_" She yelled at Giratina. Distracted, Giratina looked away from Zekrom and towards Reshiram, his eyes narrowing in anger. TDA was getting visibly annoyed.

"Ok, Giratina, who are we going for?" TDA asked in annoyance. Giratina didn't reply and continued to glare at Reshiram.

"_**I…**_" Giratina began to shake slightly. "_**Am not…**_" He was shaking more now. "_**A monster!**_" He yelled, charging us. Reshiram flew up, dodging the attack, but Giratina simply flew in pursuit.

…

"Zekrom! Are you ok?" I asked with concern. Ho-oh (or Giratina, whatever) had hit him pretty hard, judging by how he was clutching his stomach in pain. Snek and I were actually pretty okay, as we were knocked off of Zekrom at a relatively safe height. Zekrom slowly stood up and rubbed his stomach.

"_**I'm fine, Sarah…**_" Zekrom winced in pain."_**It's nothing I can't handle…**_" He knelt down, clutching his stomach again. I looked toward the sky and found that Reshiram and Giratina were duking it out, with Marcus and TDA on their respective Legendaries. While Reshiram seemed to be holding herself pretty well, I knew that she wouldn't be able to hold off TDA for much longer. I looked towards Lugia, who was still injured, and Ho-oh's human, who simply sat there, despondent. I grunted in anger.

"At this rate we're going to lose!" I yelled. Snek slithered out of my bag.

"Sssssssssarah, do that thing you do with Zekrom. You know, the thing you two hate doing." He said. I almost slapped Snek.

"No way am I doing that! You've seen us do it! It goes wrong every time!" I snapped. Snek looked at me angrily.

"Do we really have a choicccccccccce?" He snapped back. As much as I hated to admit it, he had a point. It was the only way we could fight back against TDA at this rate, what with Lugia out of the ring, Ho-oh possessed, the Legendary Beasts knocked out, and Reshiram and Marcus being in desperate need of backup. I sighed.

"Fine!" I said angrily. "Zekrom!" I yelled. He looked towards me. "We need to do the thing!" Zekrom groaned.

"_**You know that doesn't w-**_"

"Shut up and do it!" I interrupted. Zekrom was about to yell back, but looked up towards Reshiram and Marcus. Just then, a fireball hit Reshiram, but she was quickly able to recover. Zekrom gritted his teeth,

"_**Fine! Let's just get this over with.**_" He yelled. I nodded and looked over at Snek.

"Snek, go help Lugia and the Kimono girl. Leave this to Zekrom and I." I said. Snek nodded and slithered towards the pair. I looked back at Zekrom expectantly.

"Let's do this."

…

I frantically tried to regain balance as I clutched Sammy tight, Grace holding onto me. Reshiram had been hit with another one of Giratina's fireballs, knocking us off balance. I knew I needed to give Reshiram _some_ form of help. I looked towards both of my Pokemon to see if they could possibly assist in attacking Giratina. Sammy was trembling, as I suppose any child would be in this situation, so he was out, but Grace looked like she was perfectly capable of fighting. But her attacks haven't been very successful against Giratina… But maybe she didn't have to target Giratina.

"Grace!" I yelled. She looked at me, waiting for me to continue. "I need you to focus a psychic blast on TDA! If we knock him off of Giratina, then he'll probably try to save him, yes?" I said. She nodded. "And while he's doing that, Reshiram will have a perfect opening on Giratina. You understand me?" I asked. Grace nodded and aimed one of her shaky hands toward TDA, who was concentrated on Reshiram.

"I hope this works…" She said softly, before firing a blast of pure psychic energy straight at TDA, directly hitting him. Sure enough, he was sent flying off of Giratina's back.

"Shit!" He yelled. I was sure we'd done it, but one of Giratina's tentacles grabbed him, and simply returned him to his mounting position. Giratina didn't even look away from Reshiram during this whole process.

"_**Nice try.**_" Giratina said blankly. He chuckled, firing another fireball, which Reshiram dodged. "_**These tentacles are useful, no? You'll have to try harder than that to make me falter!**_" He yelled, firing yet another fireball, which Reshiram narrowly avoided. "_**Not that it matters much. All of your other allies are incapacitated. Once I deal with you, then we'll be free to take the orbs and leave.**_" He was about to attack again, but a bright blue light suddenly flashed on the ground, catching all of us by surprise. We all looked at the bright glow, that was slowly beginning to form a coherent shape. TDA gasped.

"He didn't…!" He yelled. Reshiram wore a broad grin as the glow took a more humanoid shape.

"_**He did.**_" She said. The glow finally materialized into a physical shape. My eyes widened in shock. It was Sarah, but she looked… different. Parts of Zekrom seemed to cover her. Zekrom's large black wings sprouted from her back, his tail generator thing came out of her lower back, his arms had replaced hers, and patches of Zekrom's black body replaced various parts around hers. Zekrom's head also seemed to be, for lack of a better word, merged with hers. Her face was mostly the same except for its coloration and eye color, now those of Zekrom, but her hair was replaced by the wispy thing on the back of Zekrom's head. The fusion roared.

"**That's more like it!**" The fusion yelled, in a voice that sounded like a combination of Sarah and Zekrom's. "**I hope we can stay together this time!**" It yelled, flying upwards.

"Shit! Get away from it, Giratina!" TDA yelled. Giratina growled and flew out of the fusion's way. However, it seemed the fusion had been expecting this and fired a lightning bolt at the possessed bird, directly hitting him. TDA also took some of the shock, and yelled in pain as Giratina crashed to the ground, knocking TDA off of him. Reshiram and the fusion quickly dove to the ground, causing me to almost vomit from the sudden change in motion. The second we touched the ground, I climbed off of Reshiram (probably not a good idea due to the motion sickness I was experiencing). TDA was trying to stand up, but it was proving difficult for him and he even coughed up blood in his effort to right himself. Giratina remained on the ground, breathing heavily.

"_**Damnit… Ho-oh is a Flying type, isn't it?**_" Giratina grunted in pain. "_**That would explain why that hurt so bad…**_" He began to stand up, wincing in pain periodically. "_**No matter… It will take more than a simple lightning bolt to stop our resolve…**_" The fusion of Zekrom and Sarah began to charge up an electric blast.

"**Are you going to back up those words?**" The fusion asked, preparing to fire its attack.

"Stop it!" A voice yelled. Everyone looked over to find Lin, who was standing up, fear vivid on her face as she glared at the fusion of Sarah and Zekrom. Snek was standing next to her, eyeing the fusion. "Just stop it! You're hurting her!" The fusion glared back.

"**What are we supposed to do!? Just let him go? We can't help the fact that your Legendary is currently being commandeered by Giratina.**" The fusion snapped back, still holding the charged attack towards Giratina, ready to fire.

"You can't just hurt her!" Lin yelled back, her voice cracking towards the end of the sentence. "I've already lost one person I care about today! I couldn't bear it if I lost another!" The fusion stared at Lin for a moment longer, before turning back to Giratina, putting more energy into the electric attack.

However, as the attack was about to fire, the fusion quickly shot its attack into the sky. Despite the seemingly intentional motive behind this action, the fusion seemed shocked. "**Sarah, what are you doing!?**" The fusion yelled, with more of Zekrom's voice in it than usual.

"**We can't do this! There has to be some other way!**" The fusion said, with more of Sarah's voice this time. The fusion's form started to warp a bit, like it was having trouble keeping itself together.

"**We don't have a choice! This is what Ho-oh would want!**"

"**How do you know that? Are you sure that Ho-oh wouldn't prefer that her body be kept intact?**" The fusion was wavy now, almost incorporeal.

"**We have to do this, **_**now**_**!"**

**"Hasn't the poor girl gone through enough today!?**" And just like that, the fusion split apart in a brilliant flash of blue light, bright enough to the point where I had to cover my eyes lest I risk damaging them.

Soon, the light faded away and we were all treated to the sight of Sarah and Zekrom, lying on the ground, breathing heavily. "_**D-Damnit, Sarah… I told you fusing a good idea…**_" Zekrom growled.

"W-Well… At least we made some use of it… Besides, blame Snek… It was his idea…" Sarah replied back. Giratina trotted over to Zekrom, sparks still flying out of his feathers. TDA limped behind him, breathing heavily from exhaustion.

"_**You don't have the will to stay together. Your personalities are too different.**_" Giratina placed a talon on Zekrom's neck. "_**How pathetic. You two are the worst possible exemplification of the Legendary and human relationship.**_" Giratina tightened his grip on Zekrom's neck. "_**You two are disgusting. I will enjoy erasing you from this world.**_"

Reshiram was shaking with anger, yet didn't make any effort to stop Giratina. After all, we had to be careful not to severely injure or even kill Ho-oh's body. It frustrated me that I couldn't do anything to stop them, that I just had to watch as they did what they pleased with Zekrom.

A ball of fire suddenly sped past us, hitting Giratina, stunning him long enough for Zekrom to escape his grasp. He clambered away, grabbing a still exhausted Sarah on the way. We looked over to the source of the attack to find that the three Legendary Beasts had recovered. Entei's mouth was slightly smoking, and it didn't take more than a moment to figure out who fired that attack. TDA grimaced.

"So, you dogs have come back for your parent?" He shook his head. "It isn't like you can do anything about it. Ho-oh's consciousness is repressed now, taken over by Giratina's." He shot them a glare. "Wasn't Ho-oh's human servant complaining about all of you hurting her a minute ago?" Entei growled.

"_**That attack wasn't intended to hurt her. We only intended to help Zekrom escape. It isn't like a singular fireball would have much of an effect on a Legendary that is part fire type.**_" Entei said. Suicune started to approach TDA, the other two Legendary Beasts following her.

"_**And as for you little possession, it won't work for long. We've known Ho-oh for longer than any living being ever has. We are the closest thing to children she has. Ever since she gave our corpsed new life as Legendaries in Burned Tower, we have spent everyday with her, even if it was just through telepathy. And one thing has defined her in all the years we've spent with her. She has a strong will and she certainly won't allow you to possess her for much longer.**_" Suicune said, still approaching TDA. TDA smiled and chuckled softly.

"I won't deny that she has a strong will. I'm sure most Legendaries do." TDA walked over to Giratina and stroked his neck. "But one's will doesn't matter as long as the other's will is even stronger." TDA jumped onto Giratina's back. "And I have a funny feeling that our will is several orders of magnitude stronger than this insignificant Legendary's." TDA said, snapping his fingers.

Giratina's tentacles quickly gripped the three Legendary Beasts, holding them up in the air. He gave each of them a slight squeeze, smiling as he did so. "_**Ah, it seems that the three of you have made a smart move regarding what to do with your Legendary orbs. I believe that the three of you are constantly roaming Johto, yes? With that kind of lifestyle, it'd be hard to guard your orbs, as you are not tied to one location. So, what better place would there be to hide your orbs…**_" Giratina squeezed each Beast as hard as he could, causing each of them to throw up an orb, one red, one yellow, and one blue. Giratina caught them with a tentacle. "_**...Than inside yourselves?**_" Giratina said, ending his sentence.

Giratina handed the orbs to TDA, who promptly put them into a bag. He smiled, staring at the bag containing the orbs. Then he began to laugh hysterically as he focused his attention back on us. "Well then…" He said, making a motion with his hand. Giratina threw all three Legendary Beasts to the ground.

However, the Beasts immediately sprang up and charged into action. Suinue jumped up and shot an ice beam at TDA TDA yelped and ducked as Giratina put a tentacle in front of him, shielding him from the ice beam. Entei quickly moved to shoot a fireball at TDA, but Giratina simply swatted it away as well. Moving to support his companions, Raikou shot a thunderbolt at TDA, taking great care to not hit Ho-oh's body. However, Giratina quickly lifted TDA with one of his tentacles, causing the bolt to sail right on past.

"_**You three are weak. You are so beneath me that it isn't even worth my effort to fight you.**_" Giratina swatted the Beasts with his tentacles, pinning them to the ground. The tentacles grabbed them again, repeatedly bashing them against the ground until Giratina was satisfied. Then, he threw them into some nearby trees. TDA grinned, looking at all of us.

"That makes six orbs total, Giratina."

"_**Indeed it does.**_"

"Well, we've got four more Legendaries here in front of us! Let's see if they're willing to give up their orbs, eh Giratina?"

TDA looked at each of us, smiling while doing so. His eyes eventually landed on Lin, and his face turned into that of silent contempt. "You there, girl." He said. She didn't reply, but continued to look at him. TDA took this as a sign that she was paying attention and continued speaking. "Now that Giratina and I have the orbs of the Beasts, we'll be needing the orbs from Johto's birds next. Now, as Ho-oh's human, I figure you might know where her orb is."

One of Giratina's tentacles grabbed her before any of us could react. She screamed, struggling in vain as Giratna dragged her closer to him and TDA. TDA chuckled lightly as he was brought face to face with Lin, who was still struggling to get free. "So… Do you mind helping me out here?" He said cockliy, grinning resting his head on his knee. Lin spat at him. TDA flinched and almost fell off of Giratina.

"Do you really think I'd help you!?" TDA grimaced.

"If you had even the slightest sense of morality, you'd assist me!" TDA snapped. He took a deep breath before continuing to speak. "But then again, morality seems to be deficient in your kind." He said, calmer this time, yet still evoking a passive anger. Lin clenched her teeth.

"After what you did to Damian, can you really say you're on the side of morality!?" She yelled. TDA stared at her, his expression unchanged aside from a slight twitch in his jaw.

"Search her." He said, his face still the same. Giratina nodded and ran several tentacles along Lin, trying to see if the orb was hidden in some sort of pocket. Indeed, one of the tentacles came across a slight, barely noticeable bump in her elaborate clothing. The tentacle reached into a nearby pocket and pulled out the orb.

"_**Oh? What is this? An orb?**_" The tentacle retracted, handing the orb to TDA, who put it in his bag with the others. "_**I thought so.**_" Giratina's tentacles moved towards Lin, ready to strike, as if they would impale right through her. However, TDA interjected.

"Just throw her." He simply said. Giratina looked back at him, tilting his head to the side slightly.

"_**You… You don't want me to kill her?**_" He said with a hint of surprise in his voice.

"What will that do? We have everything we need from her, and she's powerless without her Legendary. We will deal with her on Judgement Day, just like all of Arceus' supporters." TDA said calmly. Giratina looked back at Lin, hesitated a bit, then threw her towards the Legendary Beasts, who were struggling to maintain consciousness. TDA smirked and looked towards me, Giratina doing the same, glaring at me with unmitigated intensity.

"_**Human… It doesn't seem that your plan has worked very well, has it? We now possess four of Johto's orbs, and almost every one here is incapacitated.**_" Giratina raised his tentacles in much the same way as one would outstretch their hands dramatically. I looked towards my allies. Lin and the Legendary Beasts were slumped against a tree, barely moving. Zekrom and Sarah were breathing heavily, and Sarah was leaning against Zekrom for support, still tired from unfusing. And then there was Lugia, who… was standing up? He noticed me staring at him, and winked. I quickly refocused my attention on TDA and Giratina, not wanting either of them to become interested in what I was looking at.

"Do you really think you have a chance of standing against us?" TDA said, grinning. Just then, a giant ball of wind hit Giratina, knocking him to the ground and throwing TDA a few meters away from him. Lugia lumbered towards the duo, still seemingly injured from Giratina's assault on him earlier.

"_**I'd like to think I have at least somewhat of a chance against you.**_" Lugia said, smirking. Giratina glared at the cocky bird, and quickly tried to restrain him with tentacles. However, Lugia was too fast for him and grabbed the tentacles with his hands… wings? In any case, Lugia now had the advantage.

Giratina wriggled his tentacles, trying to break free from Lugia's grasp, but to no avail. Giratina instead resolved to launch a fireball straight into Lugia's face, causing him to let go of the serpentine dragon. This gave Giratina the opportunity to strike Lugia, causing him to collapse to the ground. Not wasting any time, the shadow dragon looked at me, malice dripping from the face he stole from Ho-oh. I froze up, uncertain of what to do or what plans he had for me.

A tentacle launched forth, grabbing me before I or any of my Pokemon could react. Within seconds I was brought forth to Giratina's glaring face. "_**You… Damian said that you took Lugia's orb from the Whirl Islands.**_" Another tentacle brushed up against my chest. "_**You should tell me, human… If you know what's good for you.**_" I was shaking, unsure of how to respond. I didn't have the orb, nor did I even know where it was. Lugia was the one who took it, and I had no idea where he hid it. Giratina's eyes widened slightly. "_**Lugia, eh…?**_" And that's when it hit me, something I should have kept in mind this entire time. Giratina could read my mind, as any Legendary could.

Bubbles of water suddenly hit Giratina, distracting him for a moment and causing him to drop me. As soon as I hit the ground, I sprinted back to Reshiram and my Pokemon, where Sammy stood smiling triumphantly. "Marcus, Marcus! Did ya see what I did, did ya see it?" I smiled, and patted Sammy's head.

"You did good Sammy." I replied. Sammy giggled, indicating his appreciation of the compliment. I turned back to Giratina, who was now glaring at Lugia, who had recovered from the attack earlier.

"_**Something the matter, demon?**_" Lugia asked cockily. Giratina let out a grunt of anger at the comment, but kept his cool.

"_**I would appreciate it if you would hand over your orb, you filthy dog.**_" Giratina said angrily. Lugia chuckled.

"_**Whatever do you mean? I don't have the orb.**_" Giratina moved to attack, but stopped himself. Then he disappeared without so much as a warning. Every one of us was confused. Had Giratina retreated? TDA (who was still lying on the ground after being knocked off of Giratina) also seemed perplexed. But after a few moments, he grinned. Immediately after that, Giratina suddenly appeared behind Lugia, striking him to the ground. Lugia yelled in pain and Giratina swiftly put a talon on Lugia to pin him to the ground.

"_**Shadow Force never fails to give me an edge.**_" Giratina said, coughing afterwards. "_**It does take a bit of effort to pull off though…**_" He added with a weaker tone of voice. A shape began to flicker in and out of existence around Lugia's neck. It looked like a necklace, wrapping around the entirety if Lugia's rather large neck and connecting to a circular object… the orb!? Giratina grinned. "_**Ghost type moves do have a habit of disrupting psychic abilities, don't they? Must have been using your psychic powers to keep that orb hidden, eh?**_" Giratina snatched the orb straight from the necklace with a tentacle. "_**In any case, it's ours now.**_" Giratina looked towards TDA, who was now trying to stand up. "_**Take this.**_" Giratina said, throwing the orb to TDA. TDA caught it and placed it in his bag.

"That's enough for now, Giratina. I don't think Reshiram and Zekrom have their orbs on them." TDA said, standing up fully and beginning to make his way towards Giratina. Giratina nodded.

"_**I agree. Let's call this a success and move on. But first, let me ensure that no one attempts to follow us.**_" Giratina lifted his head towards the sky and fired a barrage of fireballs, which to my great horror began to rain down on the forest. Reshiram immediately shielded my Pokemon and I. As she had a double resistance to fire, I wasn't too concerned about how she'd fare against the barrage of fireballs. Zekrom grabbed Sarah and darted further into the forest. The Legendary Beasts grabbed Lin and scattered into different directions. Lugia was still wounded and couldn't get up in time. Giratina put some sort of shield around him and TDA.

The fireballs hit everywhere in and around the clearing, setting the ground and many trees ablaze. Reshiram grunted in pain as several fireballs hit her, but she seemed to be able to handle it. Lugiaa, however, yelled in pain as the fireballs rained down on him, weakening him further than her already was. Meanwhile, the fire was quickly spreading to other trees and patches of grass, kickstarting a mini forest fire.

Ho-oh's body fell to the ground, limp, as Giratina seemed to exit it. His terrifying serpentine form was illuminated by the flames surrounding him and TDA. "_**That bird won't be waking up anytime soon. That last attack took a lot out of her… or me rather. Her body is weakened in any case.**_" Giratina said, opening a portal on the burning ground. TDA jumped onto Giratina.

"That's good to hear. Now, let's get out of here before things get hairy." TDA said. And just like that, they vanished into the portal. They had escaped, again. I looked around at the burning forest, thinking about all the Pokemon that would be displaced or even killed because of TDA and Giratina. I began to become unspeakably angry, due to my inability to do anything in this situation, as well as how TDA was able to get away with this again. And once again that terrifying thought entered my head.

Would we lose to him?


	11. The Aftermath

As soon as TDA and Giratina vanished into the portal, Reshiram flew to the center of the clearing, curling up into a ball. A red aura began to form around her, and the surrounding fire began to absorb itself into her being. And in that instant, all the fire had disappeared into Reshiram. But the damage had already been inflicted upon the forest, as trees had fallen to the ground, burnt and withered, and smoke lingered in the air, causing me to have to cover my face with my shirt.

Lugia and Ho-oh lay on the ground, limp. For a moment I thought they had died, but I was relieved to see them lift their heads weakly. "_**L-Lugia… W-W-What happened?**_" Ho-oh sputtered. Lugia hung his head.

"_**We didn't win…**_" Lugia replied. Ho-oh hing her head as well. Nearby, I heard a rustling as the Legendary Beasts emerged from the bushes.

"_**He got away, didn't he?**_" Suicune asked, looking at me. I solemnly nodded. Suicune didn't respond and looked towards Ho-oh, along with Lin and the other Beasts. Lin had a look of pure devastation on her face as Suicune brought her closer to the injured bird. Her initially calm and calculating demeanor had disappeared the second she was informed about what happened to Damian. When the Beasts reached her, Lin silently dismounted and knelt beside the Rainbow Bird.

"How… How did this happen…?" She asked. None of us replied. She realized that no one was going to say anything and instead turned her head to her injured companion. "Ho-oh… Please tell me you're ok… A-After Damian, I-I can't…" She stopped to wipe tears off of her face. Ho-oh lifted her head to attempt to comfort Lin.

"_**I'll be fine… I am indeed injured, but I only require time to recuperate…**_" Ho-oh said weakly. Lin seemed to perk up a bit, though she still wore her sad expression. Lugia coughed, likely due to the smoke pervading the clearing.

"_**I am in much the same condition as Ho-oh… But I think I'll be fine…**_" Lugia said. These words also seemed to slightly lift Lin's spirits. But her face fell again, as she remembered someone who did not make it through as Lugia and Ho-oh did.

"But Damian…" She started before Lugia interrupted her.

"_**Damian is happier now. This is what he wanted. Besides, don't you know what happens to Legendary humans after death?**_" Lugia said. Lin looked at him, interested. "_**As you know, Legendaries go through many humans in our immortal life spans. These pairs are usually broken by death incompatibility, incompetence on the part of the human, and other miscellaneous factors. As such, we don't usually get too attached to our human partners. Yet there are cases of a Legendary and human pair becoming symbiotic, with the two participants having grown so close to each other that their souls become intertwined. The human in this relationship is blessed with immortality, freeing them from the process of age. What's more is that, upon death, the human's soul does not move on to the afterlife.**_" Lugia said. Lin's eyes widened.

"What are you saying?" She asked, a small bit of hope in her voice. Lugia slowly tried to sit himself upright.

"_**Their soul lingers in our world, waiting to be reincarnated. When said reincarnation happens, the new human will be without any memories of their previous life with the Legendary. In addition, while the human will retain basic aspects of their personality, their experiences in life can shape them into someone far different from their past life.**_" Lugia said. Lin's face fell a bit.

"So what you're saying is…" Lin said, trailing off.

"_**Yes. Damian will be back, but this does not mean he will be the Damian we know. He won't remember either of us, nor will he have any way of remembering either of us. For all intents and purposes, the Damian we know is dead.**_" Lin's face returned to a sad expression. Lugia noticed this and continued his speech.

"_**Yet, I have every intention of searching for the new Damian once his soul is reincarnated and he has matured sufficiently. If nothing else, I can promise that we'll have Damian back, no matter how different he may be.**_" Lugia said, finishing his speech. Those words seemed to ease Lin's emotions.

"I… I think I can live with that…" Lin said, standing up. "I guess that means I can get to know him all over again…" SHe added, smiling. While I was happy that Lin was feeling better, I was rather confused about all that information Lugia had just said to her. Reshiram glanced towards me, likely sensing my feelings.

"_**Legendaries do not usually impart this information to their human companions. I won't get into it now, but it leads to many problems.**_" Reshiram said, not elaborating further. I knew I'd simply have to take her word for it… for now.

Needing something to take my mind off of this, I decided to approach the group of Johto's guardians. "So… What will you do now?" I asked them. Lugia glanced over at me.

"_**We'll be out of the running for quite some time. Ho-oh and I are in no condition to assist you further. We shall lie here in Ilex Forest, and wait to recover. Then, we'll make our way to our respective domains.**_" Suicune walked closer to the pair of birds.

"_**Don't worry, we'll protect them! TDA has no reason to return here, so we won't have to worry about him.**_" Suicune said. Raikou and Entei looked at me.

"_**We'd also like to apologize for our earlier behavior, human. We… aren't exactly experienced with your kind, considering we live far from human settlements. As such, we may have some unconscious prejudices towards your species.**_" Raikou said, bowing his head.

"_**We humbly apologize, and we also hope that you forgive our behavior.**_" Entei added, also bowing his head. I laughed nervously at this behavior. I didn't actually harbor any resentment towards the trio, despite their condescension earlier. I was kind of embarrassed that they were being this formal.

"I-It's fine. It didn't really bother me." I responded. The two Beasts raised their heads and assumed a more upright posture. They nodded their heads, not commenting further on the matter. I assumed that they too were embarrassed and didn't want to make the apology longer than it needed to be. Lin walked over to me, a happier expression on her face.

"Marcus… Even if we didn't win, I feel like I should thank you for your help. You and Reshiram put up quite a fight against TDA." She said. I felt kind of guilty when she said that, as I felt like Reshiram did most if not all of the fighting. Yet I didn't want to be rude, so I accepted the compliment. Lin smiled. "So where are you bound for next, Marcus?"

I had to stop to consider that question. Reshiram had more of an idea of what the next place TDA would strike would be, but I had a hunch it would be Kalos. One would think he would head for Hoenn next, due to its proximity, but Hoenn is fairly dangerous as far as Legendaries go. Kalos is the next weakest region after Johto, housing the Legendaries pertaining to life and death itself, which, while important, are less important than the philosophical concepts embodied in Unova, the natural forces embodied in Hoenn, or the masters of creation itself in Sinnoh.

"_**You are on the right track, Marcus.**_" Reshiram said via telepathy.

"We'll be heading to Kalos next. We have reason to believe that's where TDA is headed." I said to Lin, now confident of my assertions. Lin nodded.

"Good. I will look after Ho-oh and Lugia, with the Legendary Beasts." She replied. She stopped for a moment, hesitating before speaking again. "And… please do your best to stop TDA. I don't want what happened to Damian to happen to anyone else…" She added.

"I won't let anything like that happen again. I can promise that." I replied. But… Oh, what was I thinking? I couldn't go around making promises I couldn't keep. I couldn't possibly guarantee that TDA wouldn't kill anyone else along the way. But I couldn't think of anything better to say to her. I wanted to save her anymore emotional pain. Lin smiled.

"Thank you. I hope you have a safe journey to Kalos. I have to attend to my companions now. Goodbye, Marcus." She said. She turned around and walked towards the Legendary Beasts, beginning to converse with them (though I could not hear what the were saying).

Taking this as a sign to leave, I turned towards Reshiram and my Pokemon. "Well… Should we head for Kalos now?" I asked. Reshiram nodded. Sammy grinned, hardly able to contain his excitement.

"Let's train as hard as we can when we get there!" He said.

"We do need to get stronger… We almost got killed this time…" Grace said solemnly. I nodded, acknowledging that she had a point. If we didn't get better, TDA would surely win, and we would likely die in the process.

"I agree, Grace. But… let's focus on getting there first." I said, I looked towards Reshiram, nervous about the idea of flying again. However, before I could mount Reshiram, I heard something fall from one of the burnt trees. All four of us immediately looked at the source of the noise, and found a Pupitar, who was covered in minor burns.

We immediately rushed over to it, and I began to look over its body to see if it was seriously injured. After checking the Pupitar, I determined that it was in relatively good shape, aside from a few burns across its body, but they were no worse than injuries a Pokemon could withstand in a standard battle. It didn't respond to our presence. Was it trying to play dead? I decided to make it clear that we meant it no harm.

"Are you okay?" I asked it. It didn't move, but replied anyway.

"Hibernation… Incomplete..." It said flatly, almost robotically, in a nasally male voice. I puzzled over what it meant by hibernation, as I'd never heard of a reptilian Pokemon line hibernating (not to mention it was the middle of summer). I was about to question it further, when it wriggled around slightly.

"Metamorphosis… Inadequate…" it said. That's when I was reminded of an important fact about Pupitars. The Pupitar stage in the Larvitar line acts as a cocoon of sorts. This is why Pupitars are typically inactive and are not viable battlers. As such, they typically find a safe place to wait until they evolve into Tyranitars. This Pupitar must have been hibernating in one of the trees that was burnt when we were fighting TDA.

I felt bad for it, considering that we were indirectly responsible for disrupting its metamorphosis. Not to mention that it probably lived in that tree, so we were also responsible for destroying its home. I was wondering what we would do with it, when Sammy approached it.

"Marcus, we should catch it!" Sammy suggested rather bluntly. I cringed slightly at the idea, thinking that it would just add insult to injury to this Pupitar's situation. Somehow, the thought of catching a creature that we had indirectly caused numerous problems didn't sit well with me. The Pupitar wriggled again.

"That's… Fine…" It said. I was taken aback by this. I didn't understand why it'd want to come with us. While I didn't think it knew about our role in messing up its home, it wasn't like we had done anything in particular to help it or even interact with it in a significant way. Sammy was eager to join by virtue of his personality, and Grace joined both out of gratitude and the fact that she didn't have anywhere else to go.

Then it hit me. This Pupitar didn't really have anything to lose by coming with us. By joining our team, it actually had the advantage of safety, both from predators and environmental disasters. This would make it easier for it to wait as its Tyranitar body developed inside its Pupitar cocoon.

"Are you sure you want to come with us?" I asked it, just to make sure I wasn't assuming things. The Pupitar looked at me, though I couldn't tell what emotion it was trying to convey due to its species distinct lack of a face, sans the two eyeballs peering from inside the cocoon.

"Positive…" It replied. I reached into my bag and pulled out a Pokeball, ready to catch this Pupitar. However, I remembered that I hadn't even had the decency to ask its name yet.

"Do you have a name?" I asked it, lowering the Pokeball. The Pupitar stared back at me, it's eyes still looking at me with no discernible emotion.

"No… Name…" It said. I simply nodded my head as I tried to think of a name. My mind raced back to that day, the day when I lost my home. I felt like I should name this Pupitar after one of my parent's Pokemon that died in the fire, like I did with Sammy. It would even be morbidly fitting, seeing as we both lost our homes in a fire.

"I'll call you Frenc." I said. The Pupitar didn't change position.

"Acceptable…" It replied. I didn't reply as I prepared to throw the Pokeball that would contain my new companion. Without any hesitation, I threw it at the Pupitar. It was a direct hit, and I watched as the Pokemon turned to red energy as it entered the Pokeball. The ball shook once, twice, three times, before clicking, signifying that I had captured it. Silently, I picked up the Pokeball and placed it in my bag.

"I'll release him once we get another hotel room. Then, we can have proper introductions." I said. I turned towards Reshiram, about to carry on with our plan to fly to Kalos, when yet another interruption presented itself. From the distance, I heard a "Hey, Marcus!" coming from a familiar female voice.

Looking towards the source, I spotted Sarah running as fast as she could through the woods, Zekrom and her Servine following close behind her. "Marcus! Wait up!" She yelled. I waited for her to catch up, and by the time she reached me she was panting from exhaustion.

"Are you okay?" I asked. She nodded her head.

"Y-Yeah… Just a bit t-tuckered out…" She said in between pants. After taking a moment to rest, she continued. "A-Anyway… I heard that TDA g-got away." She said, still panting slightly. I nodded my head solemnly. "That's definitely a s-setback for sure. But i-it doesn't mean we're out of the game." She waved her hand vaguely to her left, as if gesturing toward something. "There's loads of r-regions out there still. And you'll have Z-Zekrom and I from here on." She said. I tilted my head. She never said anything about coming with us.

"You're… coming with us?" I asked. She looked at me like I was stupid.

"Well of course I am! Strength in numbers and all that. Besides, we're part of the same Legendary group. We'll be a perfect fit." She looked at me with a condescending expression. "And it seems like there are still things you need to learn about Legendaries. I mean, you probably don't even know what a fusion is!" She said mockingly. It didn't anger me though, as she had a completely valid point. I was still new to this whole thing, and could learn a lot from a fellow human. Wait… Did she say fusion.

That was the thing she did with Zekrom during the battle. I'd never seen or heard of anything like it, not even in legends. Was this something rare, or did the Legendaries not want this information to be widely known? "What exactly was that thing you did with Zekrom while we were fighting TDA?" I asked. She simply laughed.

"Oh man, I have a lot of explaining to do." She said while laughing. She pushed me towards Reshiram. "Get on your dragon, I'll tell you everything on the way to Kalos. That's where TDA is likely to attack next. But you probably figured that out, didn't you?'" She said, as she and her Servine mounted Zekrom.

"I'm sssssssure we'll get well acquainted on the way." The Servine said.

"_**I do hope that you aren't as frustrating as these two, Marcus.**_" Zekrom said half jokingly. Sarah playfully punched him, but I doubt he felt much of anything. She looked at me and stuck her tongue out, winking as she did so.

"Maybe Reshiram has tried to explain some of this to you before. Sometimes though, you just need a human perspective!"


	12. Two of a Kind

_A whole semester had passed since Lisa and I began the Legendary Studies course. It was smooth sailing, and we were both passing with flying colors. It was honestly one of my only classes I looked forward to. None of my other classes interested me, as most of them were mandatory ones that I didn't particularly care about. Sure, history and such could be interesting, but it often made my blood boil with its repetition. Some would say that I'm just overreacting to something that is an inevitability, but something about the constant cycle of peace and war that has been present since the beginning of our species really bothered me. No one ever seemed to learn from their mistakes, even with that famous saying about those who don't learn from history. Call me idealistic, but I would have hoped that someone would have found a solution by now._

_Science and math were pretty interesting though. They taught about different aspects of the Legendaries' grand design, math focusing on the abstract and fundamental properties of logic and the universe itself, and science focusing on the physical world our gods had so graciously blessed us with. But nothing could ever hope to overtake my love for the metaphysical and supernatural properties of the Legendaries themselves. That's why, of all fields of knowledge, I prized the study of the Legendaries above all else._

_Lisa felt the same way. Like me, she had been interested in the gods since childhood. Apparently, this stemmed from her love of nature and beauty, which led to her gratitude to the beings that created these things. She told me once that she used to fantasize about speaking to the Legendaries, asking them questions, ranging from profound ones like "Why did you make the universe this way?" or more childish ones like "What is your favorite creation?"_

_I found it quite adorable to listen to her gush about the gods with such passion as me. We'd become fast friends, and often talked with each other for hours after class, first about Legendaries, then broadening to other subjects. I'd had associates and comrades in my school days, but I often found it hard to connect with people due to my poor social skills. People would often say that I was pretentious and weird. Hell, one person even called me creepy. While I still heard whispers of these things behind my back, I was relieved to have a close friend._

_Rowan had also taken a liking to us, as we were by far the most engaged students in his class. We both constantly asked questions, performed highly on tests, and studied day and night. I had no doubt that most probably saw us as a pair of overachievers, or maybe they even thought that we were just showing off to be dicks to our other classmates, but neither of us particularly cared._

_"Let them think what they want." Lisa said. "If they'll be so quick to judge us, then we shouldn't have to pay them any mind." She chuckled. "Besides, it isn't like being openly intelligent and curious is a vice or anything."_

_"Couldn't have said it better myself." I replied, laughing slightly._

_Come midterms, we both had to pour countless hours into studying, constantly quizzing each other to make sure we had memorized the material in classes we shared. My exam grades were more or less acceptable (though I didn't do so well in my Kalosian language class). Lisa did a bit better than me in most subjects, but we were more or less performing around the same academic level. Yet, on the Legendary Studies midterm exam, we were the only students to get a perfect score. All in all, my first semester of college was going well._

_But one day, we were called to Rowan's desk after class. With a slight sense of apprehension, we approached the desk, being sure not to bump into any of the leaving students as we did so._

_"Is there something you wanted to talk to us about, Mr. Rowan?" Lisa asked. Rowan nodded his head._

_"Indeed." He simply said. He reached into his desk and pulled out a folder containing numerous files. He opened it and pulled one out, looking at it for a moment before continuing. "You two have been performing at a very high level. Indeed, you are the top two students in this year's wave of freshmen, in this class anyway. Your recent performance on the midterms has only solidified this position." Rowan put the file back into the folder and looked back at us. "This isn't an easy class. Most students are not particularly adept at pouring over ancient texts and myths, or studying divine beings so removed from our everyday lives that many don't see much of a point in learning about them. Many don't even think that this should be a required class. Yet you two have expressed a great interest in the material covered in this class." Rowan began to fish for more files. "But that isn't what interests me. Had it ended there, I would have simply considered you two to be exceptionally gifted students."_

_"What do you mean?" I asked. Rowan pulled out a few more files, and looked them over for a few moments before acknowledging my question._

_"You two have also expressed a lifelong interest in the Legendaries. In addition, you both possess good records, free of crime and violence." He looked at me. "Though, apparently you have been prone to fits of anger, especially in your earlier years, Christopher." He wasn't lying about that. I did have some issues controlling my anger, and I've done a fairly good job of reeling it in, but it did occasionally slip out._

_"I-I apologize if this has affected your perception of me." I apologized, feeling slightly embarrassed. Rowan chuckled lightly._

_"Everyone has their own flaws. I can't fault you for having one." He looked back at the files, and opened his mouth to speak, but closed it and sighed. "I don't see much of a point in continuing with these formalities." Lisa and I looked at each other quizzically. "I'll cut straight to the point. You two are considered to be top candidates for an elite interregional organization dedicated to the Legendaries." Rowan said bluntly. Lisa and I sharply inhaled. A million thoughts began to run through my mind. What was Rowan talking about? Was this a religious organization of some kind, or perhaps more? Most importantly, why was Rowan affiliated with such an organization? Glancing over at Lisa, I could tell that similar questions were running through her mind._

_"W-What are you saying, Mr. Rowan?" Lisa asked nervously. Rowan smiled slightly._

_"I'm referring to one of the most important organizations in our world. It's highly secretive, but most of the public knows it as the Legendary Protection Commission." Both of our eyes widened in a mixture of excitement and apprehension._

_"Y-You don't mean…" I said in amazement. Rowan nodded._

_"I do, Christopher." He said with a hint of happiness. I couldn't believe it… The LPC…_

_"The LPC!? Are you serious, Mr. Rowan!" Lisa yelled in excitement. Rowan again nodded. "But that's one of the most elite organizations in the world!" She said._

_"I'm sure both of you have an idea of what the LPC is, but allow me to give you a full explanation in order to clear up any misconceptions you may have." Rowan stood up and began to pace the room. "The LPC was formed in order to protect the Legendaries from any humans that seek to abuse their power. We've dealt with numerous groups in the past, most recently being Team Flare of the Kalos region. We have no doubt that groups will continue to rise up, seeking to use the power of the gods to recreate the world in their own image. We've inducted only the most elite trainers, or most dedicated of individuals into the group." Rowan looked toward us. "We pull people from all over the world into our ranks. You two were given top priority on my recommendation."_

_"Are you a part of the LPC!?" I asked in shock. Rowan simply nodded._

_"I am. Indeed, I am one of its top members." He said. Both of us deeply inhaled again. Rowan was a top member of the LPC? And he was spending his time teaching at a university? He chuckled. "I see that you two are quite shocked. Allow me to explain myself. I am a world renown Pokemon professor. Naturally, the LPC would take an interest in me. I was inducted into their ranks at a fairly young age, and advised them on how to best deal with problematic groups. In time, I simply rose through the ranks as I proved to be more useful. In my old age, I've been stationed here to look for promising recruits from Sinnoh." He chuckled. "And it seems I've found a perfect young pair." I couldn't believe it… We were being given the biggest opportunity we'd ever see in our lives!_

_"I, for one, am happy to join!" Lisa said, accepting the offer._

_"I'll come too. I'll do anything to help the Legendaries!" I said with determination. Rowan smiled and pulled a card out of his pocket, handing it to us._

_The card told us to meet at the entrance to Twinleaf Town in one week, at three in the afternoon._

_"Meet at this location at the specified time. One of our operatives will help you from there." He sat back in his chair. "Class dismissed."_

_Lisa and I looked at each other and grinned._

_"You excited, Chris?" She asked. I laughed. Did she even have to ask? My whole life, I'd been infatuated with these beings, and now I have a chance to protect them, to be useful to my creators. This was the ultimate duty I could fulfill to show my gratitude. I'd have to be a terrible person to pass this opportunity up._

_"Of course I am."_


	13. Onward to Kalos!

"Ah!" I yelled in pain.

"_**I apologize, TDA. My healing powers are flawed compared to the other Legendaries, and you can probably hazard a guess as to why. Expect some slight discomfort as I mend your injuries.**_" Giratina said. This was followed by a rush of pain as Giratina fixed my sprained leg.

"Ghh! Damnit… Ow!" I yipped as Giratina continued to fix my injuries. Each pained grunt was punctuated by a hushed "_**Sorry…**_" I tried to distract myself by looking at the distorted surroundings of Giratina's world, but this did very little to help. Yet before I knew it, my wounds had been completely healed. "Damn, that hurt… We need to be more careful next time." I complained. Giratina gave a nod.

"_**Indeed we do.**_" Giratina paused briefly before his face lit up in epiphany."_**I think I actually have a remedy for this sort of situation!**_" He said before flying to a nearby empty patch of distorted sky. He raised his tentacles and began to move them about in strange ways. At first, I had no idea why my companion was doing such weird movements, but a giant… wall began to form.

But this obviously wasn't an ordinary wall. It was a wall of screaming faces, both of Pokemon and people alike. They were yelling for help, or begging to be killed. I… began to feel scared. It wasn't an ordinary feeling of fear though, it was more… existential dread. In either case, I began to shake with terror. Giratina noticed this and quickly tried to calm me.

"_**This isn't my doing, don't worry. You have Arceus to blame for this abomination.**_" He said. The squirming, screaming faces continued to writhe and I felt myself boiling with anger as I looked at this mass of pure agony. Of course… of course Arceus would be responsible for this.

"_What exactly am I looking at, Giratina._" I said through gritted teeth. Giratina beckoned to me with a tentacle, and I began to feel myself float off the ground. "Wha- This is new…" I noted as I was brought closer to Giratina.

"_**When a Pokemon succumbs to its own mortality it is sent to one of three destinations. The most common is the Spirit World, a sort of neutral zone for those who weren't bad, but didn't do anything particularly world changing or good, whatever Arceus perceives as good anyway. Those who Arceus finds exceptional ascend to the Hall of Origin and live there with him.**_" Giratina motioned towards the wall. "_**Those who Arceus finds horrid are cast into the Distortion World with me, and are fused into this wall. This is actually only a small portion of it, and the complete wall probably extends several thousand kilometers. They suffer in the worst sort of pain that your human mind could conceive of.**_" Giratina said grimly. I couldn't believe it… Why would Arceus even create something like this… Was he so cruel, that'd he'd inflict _this_ on those who oppose him? I knew he was cruel but… How could anyone do this, Pokemon or human?

"This…" I was shaking with rage and terror as the screams of the souls flooded my ears. I started screaming, not out of fear but of pure hatred and contempt. Giratina riled back out of surprise and concern.

"_**TDA… Are you okay?**_" He asked. I stopped screaming and instead began to laugh at the pure absurdity of this situation.

"Oh, Giratina… Has it really come to this?" I said in between laughs. Giratina looked puzzled, not sure what I meant. "I mean… How did we even get here! I'm staring at a wall of screaming faces right now! If it hadn't been for… that day, I'd still be blindly worshipping the Legendaries, without even knowing about… _this_ thing." I said, continuing to laugh. Giratina shook his head.

"_**If you think you have it bad, look at my situation. I've been stuck here for billions of years, with nothing but these screaming souls to keep me company.**_" Giratina said grimly. I simply continued to laugh.

"Heh… You know, Giratina? I think when the time comes, I'll let you personally shred this universe in any way you see fit. I think you've more than earned the honor." Giratina shook his head.

"_**Don't downplay your own suffering. You deserve to give this universe a piece of your mind as well. When the time comes, we'll both take out our wrath on this universe until we get bored. Then, we will construct a perfect new world.**_" Giratina said. I grinned.

"I like the sound of that." I gestured toward the wall of souls. "But enough about that. What exactly can this abomination do to help us?" Giratina pierced the wall with a tentacle, eliciting several pained screams from the faces. I cringed in fear and disgust.

"_**I can actually remove any soul from this wall. I usually don't as it turns out that Arceus and I, at least on some level, agree on who deserves to suffer. Most of these souls were terrible people. I'd prefer to just eradicate their souls entirely, but I can't so I just leave them in here.**_" Giratina retracted his tentacle violently, now holding a glowing orb, likely a soul.

"Who's this?" I asked. Giratina looked at the soul.

"_**It's the soul of a Weavile. That's all I know about it, and I don't care much to delve deeper into its life story. We're going to use this Weavile to slow Marcus. It will distract him while we carry on with our plan.**_" Giratina replied.

"Ah, that would also mean we can avoid combat." I noted. Giratna nodded.

"_**Indeed. While we were able to win that last fight, we were both injured. I'd personally like to avoid confrontation as much as possible until the day comes.**_" I grinned.

"Wonderful! Let's get to this straight away then!" I said excitedly. Giratina threw the soul at my feet, causing me to jump back in surprise. The soul began to glow brightly and morph shape into that of an average Weavile. Slowly, the soul became a body, no different from any other Weavile, save for the eyes which were pure white. It was grinning sinisterly and was struggling to keep its balance.

"Oh… Where am I…" It said in a masucline refined Kalosian accent. The Weavile lost its balance, and landed on the ground with an "Oof!" It slowly stood up, shaking its head. "It's been quite some time since I've been able to comprehend things coherently…" It looked at me and bowed its head. "Hey there! Name's Tranchant! Now, would you be so kind as to tell me where I am? My head isn't exactly straight right now." It asked. I looked at Giratina quizzically.

"Uh…" I could only say. Tranchant followed my gaze to Giratina and let out a small scream and hid behind me. This only made me more confused. Giratina sighed.

"_**From the few times I've brought a soul out of the wall, I've noticed that they tend to experience some initial confusion. It seems that the souls in the wall don't retain their individuality, but rather suffer as a collective. As such, Tranchant here is likely dealing with the memories and experiences of a million different people and Pokemon spinning around in his head. Please allow him some time to adjust to being an individual again.**_" Giratina said. I nodded, indicating that I got the point.

"A-Are you friends with that beast!?" Tranchant asked me. Giratina let out a low growl.

"_**I assure you, Weavile… I'm no beast. Both of us are on your side.**_" Giratina looked toward the ground. "_**More or less, anyway.**_" Tranchant seemed to lower his guard.

"Well, that's quite a relief, isn't it?" He said, emerging from behind me. "But I must ask… What exactly is it we're doing? I haven't exactly… been in the loop lately." He continued, doing a little waving motion with his hand.

And so we informed him of his mission to apprehend Marcus. We obviously had to cut a little bit of the details out of our story, such as how we were essentially rebels on a universal scale. Our explanation essentially boiled down to "There's this guy named Marcus. Kill him and we won't put you back in the wall." Tranchant began to quiver when I brought up the wall.

"O-Of course! I'll go after M-Mark!" He said nervously. I corrected him and said that he was supposed to go after a man named Marcus, not Mark. "O-Oh, yes of course, Marcus, that's what I meant! Y-Yeah, I'll disembowel him, eviscerate him, whatever you want, sir!" I was rather disgusted with the idea of him gutting Marcus, no matter how much I wanted him dead. Besides, I knew that the Weavile wouldn't be able to kill him, as he was completely outnumbered. I was only hoping that he would slow Marcus.

"...Right. Well then, Giratina and I have reason to believe that Marcus will be heading for Kalos, specifically Lumiose City. He's accompanied by an Oshawott and Gardevoir. You might also be able to see a white dragon called Reshiram. Don't know if you've ever heard of it though." I wasn't sure if he'd be able to see Reshiram, as he was essentially a normal Weavile, but I felt the need to warn him anyway. Tranchant perked up.

"Ah, Kalos! I'm from there, you know. Real nice place it is. Anyways, I'll be there straight away… Eh, how exactly am I supposed to get there from here?" I looked toward Giratina, who nodded and created a portal.

"_**Go through there. You should be transported somewhere near Lumiose City. Do take care to avoid others, by the way. You don't exactly look normal.**_" Giratina cautioned. Tranchant nodded.

"Yes, yes of course!" He said nervously. He walked towards the portal and looked back at us. "Don't worry, I'll be back before you know it, and I'll be sure to bring some of Marcus' guts as a little souvenir!" He said, before eagerly jumping into the portal.

I let out a sigh. "Why couldn't we just pull a whole army out of that wall?" I asked. Giratina flew over to the piece of the wall, now missing the face of Tranchant.

"_**That was one of the first things I tried. I haven't the faintest idea why, but I can only pull one soul out of the wall at a time.**_" He looked back at me. "_**If we're being completely honest, that Weavile was chosen completely randomly. I know nothing of his past life, past deeds, or any of that sort of thing.**_"

This intrigued me. What _did_ that Weavile do to deserve this? What was he like? Did he always have this personality, or did his time in the walls damage his mind? "Giratina?" I asked. Giratina looked at me, indicating he heard me. "Would you be able to find anything out about that Weavile?" I asked. Giratina nodded.

"_**Give me a moment.**_" He said, before spacing out. A few moments passed before he looked back at me.

"Well?" I asked. Giratina sighed.

"_**Pity. He's a lot like us. If we'd met under different circumstances, the three of us could have been great friends. Perhaps we should have been kinder to him.**_"

…

_My mother and I quickly darted away from the flames. Breathing hard, we continued to run through our burning hometown while she held my hand. Draconic roars continued to echo through the sky as panic erupted through the town, the full scale of the situation finally taking hold amongst its residents._

_I tried to look up at the sky, in an effort to identify whatever Pokemon was attacking, but a blinding flash of lightning forced me to look away. Because of the distraction, I tripped and fell. My mother panicked and scurried to help me up._

_Behind me, I heard several pairs of footsteps, running. I glanced behind me as my mother helped me up, and saw a screaming mother and her two children, running straight for us. Neither of us had time to react as the panicked family trampled us. Next thing we knew, we were on the ground and in pain. The second they ran past us, I scrambled to stand up. My mother, however, was having trouble so I moved to help her up._

_Then, a roar shook the ground, and a spire of flame erupted right in front of me, spanning several houses… and my mother_

…

"Marcus, are you even listening? Is all this flying making you sick?" Sarah's voice interrupted my thoughts. While the flying was making me fairly nauseous, I was more occupied by my own ruminations.

"Y-Yeah, sorry… Just spaced out for a bit there." I said, bringing myself back to the present. Sarah sighed in annoyance.

"_Anyways_, Legendary Fusion. It's a little known secret amongst most. That's mostly cause us Legendaries don't do it often, as it presents several inconveniences, the mingling of personalities being the most prevalent." Sarah began.

"How does one even fuse in the first place?" I asked, interrupting her. She sighed in annoyance again.

"You have to be close to the Legendary in order to ensure a successful fusion." She pat Zekrom on the head much to his annoyance. "Zekrom here doesn't exactly mix with my personality, so our fusions don't usually turn out great, as you saw when we were fighting TDA. Hell, I'm only able to fuse with him in the first place cause we've been together for like two years." Sarah continued.

"So does that mean I can't fuse with Reshiram? I've only known her for a short time." I asked. Even if the fusion didn't last long, Zekrom and Sarah were able to hurt Giratina more than the rest of us. I wanted to be more useful in battle, instead of relying on Reshiram and barking orders at my Pokemon. Sarah shrugged.

"I'm not keen on how it works. Maybe one day you will be able to fuse with her." She simply said. I decided to drop it there. But another curiosity entered my mind. What would fusion even be like? Would we simply combine into a new being with its own consciousness, or would we be two minds controlling the same body?

"What is it like, being fused with Zekrom?" I asked.

"From the few times we've gotten it on-" Zekrom let out a growl.

"_**Choose your words carefully.**_" He warned.

"_Ahem._ From the few times we've fused… it felt really weird. Like, Zekrom and I still had our own identities, but our desires seemed to mesh together. We weren't two different minds giving commands to one body. Say, when we were flying after Giratina, it wasn't one of us making that decision. Our minds were in sync, and we simply both wanted to fly. I don't think I just explained it very well, but it's hard to put into words so whatever. All you need to know is that when the two beings have conflicting desires, they split up. That's what happened to us." She said.

I'll admit, I didn't understand it very well. But an experience like that, as she said, must be hard to describe, so I didn't blame her. "So why exactly are you coming with me?" I asked, changing the subject.

"As I already said, we're part of a trio. And besides, do you really think you're the only one fighting TDA? We'll have a better chance taking him down if we stick together. And after that beatdown, it seems that you'll need all the help you can get." She said, adding a playful chuckle at the end of the sentence.

"Shut up! You didn't do much better!" I semi angrily replied. Sarah just laughed.

"Relax, I'm just messing with you!" She playfully replied. Wanting to move on, I changed the subject.

"So you decided to come with me because we're part of a trio. So then, where is Kyurem? Does he even have a human?" I asked. At the mention of Kyurem's name, Reshiram and Zekrom sharply inhaled. Sarah just shrugged.

"I don't know. I've never even met Kyurem." She said. Reshiram looked back at me with a concerned, perhaps even fearful, expression.

"_**Kyurem… Isn't like us, Marcus.**_" Reshiram started. Zekrom looked back at me as well.

"_**He hasn't left the Giant Chasm in ages. I'd be surprised if he even has a human.**_" Zekrom continued.

"But why? Isn't he a Legendary like the rest of you? Why isn't he helping us fight TDA?" I asked. Reshiram sighed.

"_**Are you familiar with how the Tao Trio came to be?**_" She asked. I'd always heard that Reshiram and Zekrom shaped the Unova region, but beyond that I had no idea of their origins. As far as I and most were concerned, Reshiram and Zekrom just appeared one day, as if Arceus had just created them out of thin air.

"No. I haven't heard much." I replied. Reshiram averted her eyes, as if ashamed of what she was about to say.

"_**I-**_" She started, before Zekrom lifted a hand to silence her.

"_**Don't strain yourself. He doesn't need to know everything.**_" Zekrom said soothingly. Reshiram paused for a moment, then nodded.

"_**Ok…**_" Reshiram said, breathing out, before looking back at me. "_**Marcus, I can't tell you everything right now… I'm not confident I can handle it… But I'll tell you what you need to know for now.**_" She said reassuringly, looking back toward the horizon. She took a deep breath, calming herself. "_**The Tao Trio wasn't always a trio, Marcus. We used to be one being, an immensely powerful dragon named Kyurem.**_" She started. Could it be… I'd heard rumors that the current Kyurem was merely an incomplete being, a shell of an existence that used to be grander. I never knew what to think of the rumors, as I'd never heard much of Kyurem in comparison to Reshiram and Zekrom, so I didn't give this line of thinking much credence. Yet it seemed that the myth may be true after all… But I was getting ahead of myself. Reshiram hadn't even finished her story yet.

"So why did Kyurem split up?" Sarah asked. Reshiram sighed. Zekrom glared at her angrily, to which she simply threw her hands up in protest.

"_**We were…**_" She started, before trailing. She started breathing heavily, as if it were physically draining for her to continue speaking. Zekrom looked to her with a worried expression.

"_**Easy now…**_" He said soothingly. Reshiram took another deep breath, and continued speaking.

"_**For now, let's just say we were a contradictory being. We were bound to split up one day. When that day finally came, we were born, me as the Dragon of Truth and Zekrom as the Dragon of Ideals.**_" She paused, letting the information sink in. She still hadn't answered why the original dragon split up, but it looked like it was a rather painful memory for both her and Zekrom, so I didn't bring it up. "_**A third dragon was born too. Well, born isn't the right word. This dragon is today's Kyurem, a remnant of the old one. He's the original consciousness of the being we used to be. Let's just say that… Kyurem didn't like the idea of splitting apart. Unlike Zekrom and I, Kyurem is empty, an incomplete Pokemon. He's constantly plagued by a feeling of incompleteness and pain. He's isolated himself in the Giant Chasm, separating himself from the rest of the world.**_" Reshiram said sadly. Zekrom looked towards me.

"_**We're the parts of him he wants back. If we ever encountered him, he'd likely try to complete himself… by absorbing us. Our consciousnesses would cease to be, and Kyurem would once again be one beinn.**_" Zekrom added. I must have looked kind of scared because Zekrom quickly changed his demeanor. "_**D-Don't worry though! Kyurem's too weak to actively seek us out.**_" He assured.

To be honest, I was kind of scared. If Kyurem were to reabsorb Reshiram and Zekrom… then what would become of Sarah and I? Would we no longer be apart of the Legendaries? If that were the case, we couldn't fight TDA anymore, and since, besides the Johto Legendaries, we had actually fought him, we would have the best chance to beat him. If we couldn't fight in this war anymore, what would become of this world? Would TDA win? Sarah seemed to share similar concerns.

"Does Kyurem even care about the situation with TDA?" She asked angrily. Zekrom chuckled morbidly.

"_**I doubt he even knows about TDA. Even if he does, he wouldn't care. His mind is so broken that his sole driving force is his desire to be complete again.**_" He said somberly. Everyone was silent for a long time, until Reshiram spoke up again.

"_**But none of that matters right now. As Zekrom said, Kyurem is too weak to search for us. All we need to focus on is training both of your Pokemon.**_" She said to us. We both nodded our heads in determination. Sammy was currently sleeping in my bag, and Grace and Frenc were in Pokeballs. Snek was sleeping in Sarah's bag.

Despite Reshiram's efforts to soothe me, I still found myself worrying about Kyurem… Not only because he could potentially be dangerous, but also because of the condition he was in. What must it be like to be a fundamentally incomplete being, consumed by a desire to become whole, no matter what happens or who gets caught in the crossfire. It must be a truly agonizing existence if he had to resort to those measures…

"I can see Kalos on the horizon!" Sarah alerted. Indeed, I could see some land amongst the blue ocean.

"Where exactly are we landing?" I asked.

"_**Lumiose City. The capital city of Kalos.**_" Reshiram replied.

"Sounds expensive… I already wasted the rest of my money on that last hotel…" I grumbled. Sarah laughed at me.

"Guess I'll have to be the one to keep us afloat." She said. I laughed nervously. I didn't appreciate the jab at my lack of money. It wasn't my fault I couldn't get a decent job ever since I lost my village. They don't exactly pay much for child/teen labor. But, I knew she didn't mean any harm in the comment… I thought so anyway. It was hard to tell with her.

With our next destination on the horizon, our adventure was just beginning.


	14. Training

Training wasn't as exciting as most Pokemon trainers made it seem to be. I mean, I'm sure it's fun for the Pokemon, but for the trainer… It's basically just barking orders at Pokemon and watching how they respond, which would all be well and good if I were actually good at giving orders. Instead, I just let Sammy and Grace spar like I did back in Ilex Forest. I mean, they had Snek as a sparing member now, but other than that, it wasn't much different, as both of them were being pummeled by Grace's superior psychic powers. I couldn't even train Frenc, seeing as he was essentially nothing more than a cocoon.

Kalos was pretty interesting though. Lumiose City was huge and quite different from the Unovan cities I was more familiar with. Sarah even decided to take us out to a restaurant downtown, serving traditional Kalosian cuisine. It was definitely unlike anything I ever ate in Unova, especially considering that most food I'd eaten in the past few years was subpar at best. The architecture of the city was amazing too. The other day, after an incredibly dull training session, we went to see the Prism Tower, which apparently doubles as the city's gym. As we weren't challenging the gym, we weren't allowed to go in, but at least the outside was beautiful.

After seeing Grace knock Sammy and Snek to the ground for the eleventh time, I realized that this wasn't going to be very effective. "Alright, Grace. Good job out there. You can come and rest now." I said. Grace nodded, as I returned her to her Pokeball. "Sammy, Snek, how about you two try dueling?" I suggested. Both of them smiled and nodded.

"Oh, so now you're ordering my Pokemon around?" Sarah asked.

"N-No. It was merely a suggestion." I replied nervously. Sarah just laughed.

"Relax, I'm just joking!" She said, playfully elbowing me. I could only nervously laugh. I was getting kind of annoyed with not being able to tell when Sarah was serious or not.

"Sssssssssarah! Quite teasssssssing him!" Snek yelled back. Sarah put an expression of mock shock.

"Since when does the Pokemon give orders?" She yelled in feigned anger. Snek simply rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to Sammy. Speaking of the two Pokemon, they'd become good friends over the past few days. However, Sammy was a bit too… immature for Snek at times, but the two enjoyed being around each other. I guess they must feel a kinship, being our main Pokemon… or rather Sarah's only Pokemon.

And as for Reshiram and Zekrom… They'd largely left us to our own devices, and usually went off somewhere by themselves. I guess that they're just catching up on old times. But… the way they talk to each other, the way they look at each other… it makes me think that there may be more to their relationship than they're letting on.

"Ah!" Sammy yelled as he was thrown to the ground by one of Snek's well placed Leaf Blades. The Servine simply shook his head.

"Oh, Ssssssssammy. You'll have to try harder than that if you want to compete with me." Snek taunted. Sammy jumped back up, and fired back with a Razor Shell. Taken off guard, Snek quickly slithered out of the way, dodging the move. He fired back another Leaf Blade, but Sammy jumped out of the way. Snek smirked and nodded his head in approval.

"Now you're getting it! But remember thissssssss…" Snek used Giga Drain on Sammy. Green particles seemed to leave Sammy and enter Snek, and Sammy began to pant from exhaustion.

"Eh… What are you doing to me?" Sammy asked, breathing heavily. Snek let out a quick laugh.

"It's Giga Drain, my dear Oshawott. I'm ssssssssucking the life force out of you and taking it for mysssssssself. It's even more effective than ussssssssual, since Giga Drain is a Grassssssss type move, and you are a haplesssss Water type!" Sammy shook his head vigorously.

"Ah! No, don't drain my life force!" He yelled. I couldn't help but snicker at how Sammy was acting as if he were in any actual danger. Snek seemed amused as well, as he let out a little chuckle.

"Relaxxxxxxxxxxx. It'ssssssss not like I can actually kill you with thisssssss. But you musssssst watch out for this attack. It can leave you drained and unable to do anything for a while. We don't know if TDA hassssss any Pokemon besides Giratina, but if he doessssss or if he catchessss ssssssome, we mussst be ready for anything." Snek lectured. He slithered over to Sammy. "Here, let me sssssshow you what to do to avoid ssssuch attacksssssss." The two Pokemon began to have a conversation I couldn't hear, so I turned my attention elsewhere, specifically to the side of the bench, where Frenc was resting.

"How are you doing, Frenc?" I asked. He glanced over at me.

"Bored…" He simply stated. I rubbed the top of his head.

"Aww… I'd train you if I could, but you're evolution doesn't really make it that easy. Besides, the others might hurt you, which may hinder your metamorphosis. It's best if you just relax." Frenc looked away.

"Understandable… Will comply… Save training for later… When complete form is attained…" He said. I simply nodded in agreement. There really wasn't much he could do until he became a Tyranitar.

Just then, the loud flapping of wings interrupted my thoughts. I looked up toward the sky to see Reshiram and Zekrom returning from wherever it was they went off to. Sarah noticed as well.

"You'd think they wouldn't leave us like that. What with TDA prowling about." Sarah commented. Within seconds, the duo of dragons landed nearby. Sarah shook her head. "Took the two of you long enough!" She yelled. Reshiram looked at the floor shamefully.

"_**Apologies. We were simply catching up on old times. It's been quite some time since Zekrom and I have been together.**_" Reshiram apologized.

"I would've understood on the first day, but it's been nearly a week! Look, I can appreciate whatever romantic dynamic the two of you have going on, but we're kind of on an important mission here. Gah, why am _I_ telling _you_ this?" Sarah said with a hint of anger. Zekrom's eyes narrowed.

"_**I don't appreciate your tone, Sarah. But I must begrudgingly admit that you have a point.**_" Zekrom looked away angrily. "_**We'll try to be more on task from now on.**_" He said through gritted teeth. Reshiram nodded in agreement. It was rather… odd to see Sarah tell off these divine beings for not doing their part, especially as she was usually the laziest of us. I wasn't complaining though, as I desperately needed help training my Pokemon.

"Well then, if that's all settled, what do you say to helping Marcus here, Reshiram? I've been watching him all day, and he's _terrible_ at training. I bet he's never had a proper Pokemon before!" She said, jabbing at me. I simply looked at her angrily… but she did have a point.

"Yeah… I could use some help." I said, a little embarrassed. Reshiram nodded and walked towards the bench I was sitting on.

"_**Of course. Now, one thing I've noticed about you and Sammy is…**_" And so we trained for the rest of the day, hanging onto hope that it would be enough to take on TDA when we were to meet.

…

The Hall of Judgement was pleasant as always, but a faint tension lurked in the otherwise pure air today. The Hall's Mew attendants were frantically keeping tabs on the affairs of the different regions; political shifts, the population of certain Pokemon species, the rise of problematic individuals, stuff like that. Most importantly though, the Mews were desperately trying to figure out where TDA was at the present moment. Arceus' policy of personally interfering with the world as little as possible often put unnecessary strain on the Mews to figure out what was to be done about certain issues.

Yet this time, the Mews would be able to rest a little easier, for some much needed intervention from the higher ups was about to bless them. A Victini levitated into the room the Mews were working in. It observed as the Mews conversed with each other, received memos on the world's happenings, and tried to protect order in the otherwise chaotic workplace. The Victini sighed. Such a state was commonplace. The annoyed Mythical Pokemon unleashed a fiery aura, gaining the attention of all Mews present. They all stopped what they were doing, and focused entirely on the Victory Pokemon.

The Victini explained, in no uncertain terms, what a poor job the Mews were doing. It especially emphasized the universal threat that was TDA, and ordered the Mews to work faster. The New Species Pokemon were used to being chewed out by their Victini boss, and simply took the insults and orders in the hope that their superior would eventually tire and leave them be. Yet, it seemed like that would be a while, as the Victini seemed to have much more to say than usual.

"And another thing-" Their high pitched voice was cut off by loud footsteps coming from behind him. Every Pokemon froze as the noise drew closer, until a shape emerged from the darkness. The Mews eyes widened, and they bowed in reverence.

"_**Is there a problem?**_" A dignified male voice asked. The Victini stiffened and slowly turned to face the voice.

Before them was a majestic, quadrupedal white being, with a golden ring around its torso, and seventeen glowing plates circling it. It was the ultimate being, the creator of the universe, the progenitor of time and space, the Alpha Pokemon, Arceus. The Victini was shaking in the presence of such a powerful being. Arceus simply tilted his head.

"_**Well, is there?**_" He asked again. The Victini vigorously shook its head. Arceus nodded. "_**Good. You are dismissed now.**_" The Victini nodded and flew out of the room. The Alpha Pokemon looked towards the numerous Mew. "_**All of you are doing wonderfully. Do not feel as though you shoulder the burden of finding TDA. My agents are searching for him as we speak. Continue your work.**_" He said soothingly. The Mews breathed a sigh of relief and began to work once more. Arceus nodded approvingly and began to trot out of the room.

Yet he stopped himself soon after he left the room. He still wondered what he would have to do to Giratina after all of this was taken care of.

"_**It's bittersweet to see you active in our creation again. If only you learned what I was trying to teach you all those years ago.**_" Arceus said to himself. Memories came flooding back to him of Giratina's rebellion. Oh, how it hurt him so to cast his beloved child into the hellscape that was the Distortion World. But he had to do it. He tried to destroy Arceus' grand design. It was in the best interest of the universes' inhabitants that he was locked away. And now, he was back, still intent on ripping apart this world. Arceus glanced at the floor and narrowed his eyes in a challenging manner.

"_**I look forward to our reunion, my son. Maybe this time, I can rectify your behavior once and for all.**_"


	15. Tranchant Arrives

They were much stronger now, my Pokemon, Granted, none of them had evolved yet, but they were doing better in combat. Sammy was able to hold his own against Snek, despite the type advantage and the fact that Snek was an evolutionary tier higher than Sammy. Hell, the two of them were lasting longer against Grace now. Speaking of Grace, I'd been toying with the idea of picking up a mega stone for her while in Kalos. However, they were far too expensive, even for Sarah, so it wasn't likely she'd get one. And Frenc… was still Frenc.

True to their word, Reshiram and Zekrom were more involved in our training. It definitely helped to have a Legendary's advice. Who else knew so much about the inner workings of Pokemon than the gods that created them? At this rate, we'd definitely be able to contend with TDA when we next meet.

But I was getting ahead of myself. We'd no idea where TDA even was at the moment. Right now, we were heading for an unnamed forest out in the middle of Kalos, apparently where Xerneas was located. We were supposed to warn her that she was likely one of TDA's next targets. Apparently, neither Xerneas or Yveltal were particularly proactive gods. Rather, they merely regulated the forces of life and death from their respective dwelling places, which were quite isolated, even from other Pokemon. As such, it was likely they didn't know that the Kanto and Johto orbs had fallen to TDA. Much to my dismay, we had decided to fly there, seeing as there was no other quick mode of transportation to the forest.

One nauseous flight later, and we had arrived in the forest. Reshiram wasn't kidding when she said the place was isolated. It was unimaginably quiet, with not even the tweeting of a bird Pokemon or the buzzing of a bug Pokemon, and there wasn't so much as a breeze to shake the trees. Hell, I wouldn't have been surprised if Reshiram told me there wasn't one person besides us for hundreds of kilometers.

"_**The nearest human is approximately 300 kilometers away**_" She said flatly.

"I didn't actually want a response." I replied. Reshiram snorted in amusement.

"So where is Xerneas anyway? I don't think anyone ever really found out where Team Flare got her and Yveltal a few years back. Are you sure she's here?" Sarah asked.

"_**I am a deity, Sarah. And Xerneas is one of my colleagues. I'm sure I know where she spends her time.**_" Reshiram replied.

"This place is kinda deserted though… It's so quiet, I could hear a Rattata a kilometer away! You think we'd see some sign of Xerneas at least." Sarah replied.

"I'm sure she's around here somewhere." I said.

"You think your Gardevoir can sense her with her psychic energy or something? I mean, Gardevoir and Xerneas are both Fairy types, aren't they? Maybe they can sense a 'common aura' or something." She asked. I raised an eyebrow in interest.

"That is actually a good idea…" I pulled out Grace's Pokeball and released my Gardevoir. A flash of light burst out of the ball and materialized into the form of a Gardevoir, before solidifying into the unmistakable shape of Grace. She looked around, adjusting to her new surroundings, before looking at me.

"Do you need something, Marcus…?" She asked quietly. I nodded.

"We're having trouble locating a Legendary that's supposed to be around here. You and her are both Fairy types, so we thought you might be able to pick up on some kind of common energy you two might share?" I asked. Grace looked at me oddly.

"I don't know about any of that… But I can try…" She said. She closed her eyes and began to focus hard. After a few moments of careful concentration, she suddenly opened her eyes and let out a quiet gasp. "I can't sense the Legendary… But something terrible is here…!" She said, beginning to panic. Reshiram closed her eyes for a moment.

"_**I… I can't sense it… Grace, are you sure there's something here?**_" Grace nodded.

"I feel… a dark presence…" She cautioned, looking around frantically.

"That's kinda rude, y'know! I didn't choose to be a dark type." A sarcastic voice yelled. Startled, all of us looked around, trying to pinpoint the voice.

"Show yourself!" Sarah yelled. Just then, a black and red shape jumped out from one of the trees, heading straight for me. It was moving too fast for me to react, and I soon felt three sharp objects slice at the side of my face.

"Ah!" I yelled, grabbing my head in pain. It felt like three claws scratched my face. Fortunately, it didn't seem like it was enough to draw blood. The shape wasn't able to land smoothly, and instead tumbled onto the ground, skidding a ways away from us. When the being was finally able to stop itself, we saw that it was none other than a Weavile. It stood up, it's back facing us, and shook some dirt from its fur.

"Bleck… Nobility shouldn't have to deal with such uncleanliness!" The Weavile said in a rowdy male Kalosian accent. He obsessively brushed the dirt out of his fur and, once satisfied, turned to us. He looked just like an ordinary Weavile, except for his eyes. They were lifeless, and were pure white, as if his eyes were rolled back into his head. Understandably, most of us grimaced slightly at this. The Weavile seemed to notice this, despite the lack of pupils, indicating he could see perfectly well. "What, is there something on my face? Oh, who am I kidding, you're freaked out about the eyes aren't you?" He asked, annoyed. None of us responded. "Well, if you must know, I'm not a mere Weavile. I am Tranchant. That's pronounced _trawshaw_ by the way. I know how hard it is for you Unovans to understand other accents and languages, _especially_ when it comes to pronunciation." He said condescendingly. Zekrom growled.

"_**Who are you and why are we unable to see your aura?**_" He asked angrily. Tranchant laughed, and gave a little snap.

"I already told you who I am. I'm Tranchant, a Weavile of Kalosian nobility. As for why you can't detect my… aura or whatever, it's pretty simple." Tranchant did a little twirl and struck a pose. "I'm dead! Been dead for a few hundred years, too! I have no aura to speak of!" My eyes widened in shock. A dead Pokemon that somehow still had life? How was it possible? It couldn't be a spirit, since it physically hurt me. But… what else could it possibly be?

"Are you a lost soul…?" Grace asked. Tranchant grinned.

"Leave it to the psychic to figure things out! You Legendaries were searching for the wrong signs. I may have no aura, but a psychic can always tell when a dark type is near. Shoulda counted on there being a psychic in this team." Tranchant shook his head. "But I'm getting off track." He looked at us, and put a claw to his head. "I suppose I'm a lost soul of sorts." He stopped for a moment, seemingly in thought, before his eyes widened and he grinned. He jumped at me, too fast for me to react, and grabbed onto my shirt. Reshiram, Zekrom, Grace, and Sammy moved to attack, but Tranchant put up a claw to stop them. "Don't worry, I ain't gonna hurt him!" He said. He climbed up onto me, until his face was level with mine. I was shaking, too terrified to do anything.

"W-What do you want…?" I asked. He laughed.

"Tell me, Marcus… Have you ever thought about what happens after you die?" He asked.

"W-Well, I've never really thought about it…" I responded. I really hadn't. Thinking about death always reminded me of my family, and being reminded of my family… didn't do wonders for my mood. I suppose pushing death out of my mind is one of the reasons I don't think about what happened as often as I probably should. At any rate, Tranchant simply grinned.

"Well, as someone who has died, I happen to know about what lies after!" He jumped off of me. "All of you seem like wonderfully loyal servants to Arceus. I'm sure he'll reward you once your time comes. After all, he always rewards those who stand by him with an eternal paradise once they pass through the mortal world. People who aren't loyally devout to Arceus, which is most people, get sent to the Spirit World, a neutral realm with neither exceptional pleasure or pain." Tranchant began to scratch his head vigorously. "But what about those who stand _against_ Arceus? Where do they go?" He began to scratch faster as his voice became more frantic. "W-We're thrown into a massive wall of writhing souls, all belonging to people who defied Arceus. W-We are then stripped of our individuality, becoming meshed with each other, forming a group consciousness, suffering immense pain every second of every day. Th-" He stopped, noticing that he had begun to draw blood. He smiled and flicked it off of his claws, causing it to stain the grass around him. He straightened his fur, and seemed to calm down. He glared at me, still grinning. "Imagine living in constant, unspeakable pain all the time. Then imagine having no sense of individuality and no coherent thoughts. Every second I spent in that wall was constant agony, with a million screaming voices rushing through my head, and I lived that way for hundreds of years! Imagine the poor sods who've been in for thousands, millions even! When you're in there, your mind is so far gone that you can't even understand what is happening to you or why. It's just pain and screaming, all the time." He said, in an eerie, calm tone. He began to laugh, almost maniacally as he looked at our disturbed expressions. "Do you know what that's like? To spend hundreds of years in constant pain, and having no clue _why_ you are in such horrible pain, all the while having to bear the screams of a million other souls?"

None of us could muster any sort of response to what Tranchant had just told us. The amount of suffering he described was beyond the ability for any of our minds to comprehend, perhaps even beyond the abilities of Reshiram and Zekrom. The two divine dragons simply donned expressions of mild shock, befitting their stoic demeanors, but I could tell that they were disturbed. Sammy was shaking like a leaf and whimpered, while Snek tried his best to remain calm. Grace looked bewildered, and stood frozen in place. Even Sarah, who had never shown a break in her uplifting attitude until now, was visibly shocked without so much as a sign of her comedic personality. I knew we were all thinking the same thing. Would Arceus really do something like this? At any rate, Tranchant simply laughed once more.

"But none of that matters anymore! Now I'm free! And, I have an opportunity to keep my freedom forever!" He pointed a claw at me. "All I need to do is _kill you_ and I'll never have to suffer again!" Everyone immediately moved to shield me from Tranchant. He simply laughed once more. "Seriously? You think I'd take on all of you? There are two Legendaries in your group for Arceus' sake! I'd be stupid to fight you… if I didn't have a little help!" He twirled his right index finger in a circle, particles of ice slowly swirling around it. "I don't feel like toying with you, Marcus. I'd rather get straight to my freedom!" He began to laugh as the ice grew in intensity. "Sheer Cold!" Just then, a colossal blast of ice blasted from his claws, heading right toward me.

There was no way I could move out of the way in time. Sheer Cold can instantly cause a Pokemon to faint in battle… would it kill me instantly as well? I could only thrust me hands in front of my face in a vain attempt to protect myself. This was it, my adventure ended not even by TDA, but by a mere Weavile. I waited for the cold to overtake me, to freeze my body… but it didn't come. Instead, I felt a slight heat in front of me.

I lowered my arms and opened my eyes to find Reshiram standing in front of me, blasting the Sheer Cold with her fire breath. The two elemental attacks countered each other, neither advancing toward their intended target. To rectify this, Reshiram put more energy into her attack, causing it to gain an upper hand against the Sheer Cold and advance toward Tranchant. Noticing this, Tranchant grunted and put more energy into his attack, but it was too little too late. The flames overpowered him and sent him flying several meters. He screamed as the flames singed his body, his pain amplified by the fact he was an ice type. He hit the ground with a thud, unmoving. After a few moments, he stirred and slowly pulled himself up.

"Ow… Hehe… You think that hurt me? I've suffered much worse! It's merely a flesh wound to an undead entity such as myself! You may be a Legendary, dragon, but my benefactors have given me power beyond that of your average Pokemon!" He said triumphantly.

"So we've noticed. A Weavile can't learn Sheer Cold, after all." Sarah pointed out. Tranchant snapped his fingers.

"Yes! Man, for all the crap that gets thrown at Giratina, he sure is awfully generous to grant such enormous power to this poor soul." I froze. Giratina? That meant that TDA had something to do with this… Then again, I had no idea why I hadn't considered it earlier. Why else would this Weavile try to kill me?

"Giratina? What does he have to do with you?" I asked.

"I already told you! He's my benefactor. Plucked me straight out of that wall of souls, he did. Gave me considerable power to fight you, in exchange for my freedom." He replied. He raised a claw again. "Now then, where were we?" He smiled as dark energy began to coalesce in his hand. "I see that Sheer Cold won't work with this lumberding dragon around. I figure I should aim smaller for now, pick you off one by one. And this Gardevoir is looking pretty susceptible to my dark attacks!" He looked towards Grace and began to swirl the dark energy vigorously.

"No!" I cried as he prepared to launch the attack. However, just then, a large tremor shook the ground, causing all of us except for Reshiram and Zekrom to lose our balance. Behind us, we heard something begin to stir. Looking toward the source, I saw… a tree? But it was shaking and pulsating with an ethereal green light, and had a large X carved into it.

"Oh no…" Tranchant whimpered. The tree began to lose it's form, becoming a vague ball of light, constantly changing shape. Eventually, the green glow settled on a shape, that of a colossal deer, with magnificently large horns. I recognized the light's form almost immediately.

"Xerneas…" I muttered in awe. Tranchant yipped.

"Ah! W-Well, it was nice to meet all of you, but I really can't stay here. I'm sure we'll m-meet again soon though! It's just that… I-I may have the power to tackle all of you, but Xerneas _is_ a fairy type and all, a Legendary even. That's not exactly something a dark type like me wants to go up against!" Tranchant stuttered. The light began to take a cohesive form, the unmistakable blue color of Xerneas' fur and the multicolored types of their horns beginning to show. "W-Well, _au revoir_!" Tranchant yelled before scurrying off.

"Hey!" Sarah yelled after him, but it was too late. He was already well on his way away from us, and neither of us could hope to match a Weavile's speed. We turned our attention back to Xerneas, who had almost completely materialized. After a moment more, a burst of light erupted from Xerneas, as it completely manifested itself.

After a moment, the light cleared up, revealing Xerneas in all their glory. The massive multicolored horns, the brilliant blue fur, the elegant posture, all of it screamed of nobility and gracefulness. They opened their eyes, revealing X shaped pupils, which focused themselves on us.

"_**Curious. It doth seem I have some visitors! Art thou the source of all this ruckus? Prithee, tell me why hast you traveled this far?**_" Xerneas asked. Her voice was soft and refined, and quite feminine. She looked at each of us, seemingly awaiting a response. However, she took notice of Reshiram and Zekrom before anyone could say anything. "_**Doth mine eyes deceive me? Is it really thou, Reshiram and Zekrom?**_" The two dragons nodded.

"_**Yes. It has been quite some time, hasn't it Xerneas?**_" Zekrom replied.

"_**Quite some time? It hath been at least 200 years since you've come to visit. I was worried you'd never drop by again.**_" Xerneas said. She looked once more at all of us. "_**Are these your humans?**_" She asked. Reshiram and Zekrom both nodded.

"Yeah, you're gonna have to deal with us." Sarah said, butting in. Zekrom glared at her yet again.

"_**Apologies, Xerneas. Sarah here is usually much more behaved.**_" Zekrom said angrily. Sarah chuckled.

"You know I'm not!" Sarah said. Zekrom looked as if he was about to fire back, but Reshiram interrupted him.

"_**Xerneas, this is my human, Marcus.**_" She said, gesturing toward me.

"H-Hello." I said nervously. Xerneas leaned her head close, examining me.

"_**My, aren't you a cute one! Humans are so adorable!**_" She said with glee. She leaned back, focusing on Reshiram and Zekrom once more. "_**But thou hast still not answered mine query. Why hast thou come here?**_" She asked. Sarah decided to speak.

"You know about TDA?" She asked. Xerneas reeled back.

"_**Of course I do! Few of us Legendaries don't.**_" She replied.

"Well, we're chasing him around at the moment, and we think he'll attack Kalos next. We came here to protect you." She said.

"_**I hath no need for protection! I am Xerneas, The Life Pokemon!**_" Sarah shook her head.

"I'm glad you think that, because we just came from Johto after witnessing TDA and his little buddy mop the floor with every Johto Legendary _and_ us! He burned half of Ilex Forest, for Arceus' sake!" She said angrily. Xerneas seemed to consider this.

"_**Thou mayeth have a point… Forgive me, I am not well versed in the happenings of my brethren.**_" She said, lowering her head. However she quickly perked back up. "_**Then come with me! Mine human should be arriving shortly from his excursion.**_" Sarah and I exchanged confused looks. Where exactly could she even take us? We were in the middle of a forest after all.

"_**Doth thou not believe that The Life Pokemon doth not have a home? Nonsense, Marcus and Sarah. Now, come with me, all of you.**_" With no other choice we did what she asked.

But that encounter with Tranchant still bothered me. After all, why would Arceus condemn anyone to suffer like that, even if they stood against him. I wouldn't even wish that fate on TDA.

Was there more to Arceus than what it seemed?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now you're caught up... if you are still here that is.
> 
> Anyway, be sure to leave a review or any other comments you want.
> 
> I'll see you next time.


	16. Xerneas, Beauteous Goddess of Life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took a month. School and all that.
> 
> Anyways, first new chapter. Kinda meh on this one but the next one should be better. It's gonna involve more of our friend, The Devil's Advocate.

We had been following Xerneas silently for around ten minutes. At first, I was worried that Tranchant may take this chance to ambush us, but I reassured myself that Xerneas' presence would surely deter him if he decided to come back. Sammy was still shaken up by our encounter with him, and was clinging to my leg more than usual. I felt bad for him. He had to sit there and watch, helpless, as his own trainer was almost killed by Sheer Cold. It was like watching one's parent being held at gunpoint. It would be a massive understatement to say I knew that feeling.

In any case, I couldn't think about that right now. Xerneas looked back to us, telling us that it was just a few meters ahead. Most of us breathed a sigh of relief, glad that we were almost there.

"_**Mine human should be arriving shortly. Nay, he may already be here.**_" She stopped walking and stomped the floor hard. Immediately, the ground started to glow a faint pink, and the light soon formed some kind of rune. It looked like Xerneas' horns, but surrounded by various leaves. The rune's light began to increase, eventually blotting out the ground beneath it. Soon, the light faded, revealing a new entrance leading underground. Xerneas gestured towards the opening. "_**Let us proceed.**_" She said. We did so.

I expected to find a dark rocky cavern inside. You know, like what a cave normally is. Instead, we were all greeted with a rather extensive and luxurious looking living room. There were portraits of Xerneas lining the walls, all painted in a glorious and holy light. However, there was one painting that stood out among the others. It was of a human boy, no older than fourteen. He had curly blond hair, watery brown eyes, and a rather skinny build. He was smiling, but it was a feigned smile, masking nervousness deep inside. He was sweating slightly, and his posture was lopsided.

"Dude looks like a twink." Sarah said offhandedly. I looked at her quizzically. What did she say?

"What's a twink?" I asked. Sarah began to snicker, then burst out into a fit of laughter. Zekrom slapped her over the head.

"_**Sarah! That is a child! Please refrain from making such comments about those who are not ready for those actions.**_" Zekrom yelled. Reshiram let out a slight laugh.

"_**Oh, Zekrom. You were always so serious.**_" She said.

"You're one to talk! Talking to you feels like having a conversation with a wall!" I retorted at Reshiram in a joking manner. However, rather than a laugh, I got a slightly concerned look from Reshiram. She tilted her head slightly.

"_**Is that how you feel, Marcus?**_" She asked. Zekrom shot me a glare. What did I do? Realizing things were about to get out of hand, Xerneas interrupted this tense situation.

"_**Guests, mine human is near! He approaches mine den as we speaketh.**_" She announced. Sure enough, I faintly heard footsteps approaching the den opening.

"Xerneas, is there someone else here?" A childlike voice asked.

"_**Yes. Nay, there are a great many of them.**_" Xerneas replied.

"What are they doing here?" The child asked, the footsteps getting closer.

"_**They've come by to warn us of something.**_" She replied. The source of the footsteps began to descend the staircase. The source turned out to be, perhaps unsurprisingly, the same child in the painting from earlier. When he finished descending the stairs, he looked at all of us, eyes widening.

"I-Is that Reshiram and Zekrom!?" He said in a mixture of nervousness and excitement. Xerneas nodded.

"_**Indeed, but thou art forgetting our other guests.**_" She replied, somewhat curtly. The boy adjusted his posture into a more upright position.

"O-Oh, sorry! W-Where are my manners? Well then, who are all of you?" He asked.

"I-" I started, before Sarah cut in.

"I'm Sarah, Zekrom's human. This dork next to me is Marcus, Reshiram's human." Sarah said. I decided to let her disparaging comment slide, not that any protest on my part would do anything. The boy nodded.

"I'm Absalon! Nice to meet you!" He said, straightening up some more. No one said anything for a few moments. Eventually, Absalon decided to speak up.

"S-So, why are all of you here?" He asked.

"We have reason to believe TDA is going to attack here next. We came to offer some assistance." I said. Absalon tensed up.

"T-TDA is coming here!?" He said fearfully. We all nodded.

"_**Most likely. Fear not, for we are here to protect you.**_" Zekrom said.

"_**Indeed. We are well protected, young Absalon. I've known Reshiram and Zekrom since I was first borne from Arceus' divine hand. Mine friends are strong enough to hold their own, whilst protecting us.**_" Xerneas added.

"W-We can fight too, can't we?" Absalon asked.

"_**I suppose so. I possess the Fairy Type, which should be effective against that hideous monster's Dragon Type.**_" Xerneas mused. Reshiram nodded in agreement.

"_**I presume you will be useful in battle.**_" She said. Xerneas gestured to a set of doors.

"_**Then let us retire until he arrives. It will do us good to prepare.**_" Xerneas said. With this, only one thought crossed my mind.

"Great, more waiting." I muttered.

…

Yveltal felt uneasy. As the deity and mediator of death itself, he was used to sensing this emotion in other beings as their times in this world came to a close. He rarely ever felt disturbed himself, but something was in the air tonight, something… sinister. The Bird of Death glanced out from his mountaintop cave, surveying the surrounding area, but it was difficult as darkness obstructed much of it.

"You feel it too, don't you?" Yveltal's soft spoken human said. Like human, like Legendary, his partner could sense a foreboding presence as well. She stood next to Yveltal, also looking across the dark landscape for any potential threats. Her short red-orange hair was blown by the chilly night air and her freckled face turned red from the cold, both due to the night temperature and the high altitude. Yveltal acknowledged her with a tilt of the head.

"_**Yes. Something is here, and it is nigh-deathless. It must be another Legendary, and a fairly strong one at that.**_" The bird replied. The human girl looked at her partner quizzically.

"Do you know where it is?" She asked. The bird nodded it's large, horned head.

"_**It's close. Watch yourself, Clovis.**_" He advised. The girl, Clovis nodded and adopted a fighting stance.

"Yes, Yveltal." She replied. The Bird of Death was about to instruct her further, but the ground began to tremble, catching them off guard.

"_**Wha-What is this!**_" Yveltal said, surprised.

"What are we going to do?" Clovis asked. Yveltal considered many options. Facing whatever the threat was would be too dangerous, and hiding in this cave would only work for so long. They'd have to run away, as humiliating as it would be.

"_**Clovis! Get on my back! We have to get out of here! I don't know what's here, but I can feel that it most certainly wants us dead!**_" Yveltal warned. Clovis nodded and quickly moved to hop onto Yveltal. After some slight difficulty in finding the right position, Clovis successfully mounted Yveltal, and the pair soared out of the cave.

It was almost a successful escape, but fate evidently had other plans that night. With a single movement, a tentacle launched forward, hitting Yveltal. This knocked the bird out of the sky, and the divine Pair of Death began to fall toward the surface. With a crash, Yveltal landed on his belly in order to ensure that Clovis remained relatively unhurt.

Grunting, Yveltal struggled to right himself. As he was doing so, the unseen enemy landed nearby. Yveltal yelled in frustration. "_**What are you!?**_" He yelled. Someone laughed. The bird and girl looked toward the source, and saw a horrifying sight.

A serpentine dragon, donned in grey, red, and black, possessing six shadowy tentacles, and a golden crown. Six spikes protruded from its body, three on each side, and its eyes glowed with red, seething hatred. A man was riding this demonic monstrosity as well. He was a thirty year old Alolan-Sinnohan with fierce purple eyes and messy brown hair. He laughed once more, and grinned at the pair.

"Who am I? You should know that already!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As they say in Kalos, le bruh moment.
> 
> See you in like two weeks.


	17. Yveltal, Cunning God of Death

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ay, what do you know? Another month went by.
> 
> A few announcements.
> 
> 1\. From this point on, the story will be fully third person omniscient. I will be editing chapters over the weekend to make them third person, so expect that. I am doing this, as I am much better at writing in this style.
> 
> 2\. I have figured out a way to be more productive so chapters should come out sooner. Let's see if I actually follow up on that promise.
> 
> 3\. Don't be afraid to leave a review, again, so long as it's actually valuable and not just a one sentence thing or something mean spirited. Criticism is welcomed, but I ask that it be polite. In my experience, this typically makes it easier for me to respond to issues.
> 
> At any rate, enjoy.

A tense stare off was currently taking place. The attacker, TDA, the one who wanted to forge a new world, and his draconic friend, Giratina, the one cast aside by Arceus, stared down their foes. Yveltal, God of Death, placed a protective wing in front of his human, Clovis.

"_**State your business, demon.**_" Yveltal said aggressively to his attackers. This probably wasn't the best idea because they significantly outmatched the Bird God in power at the present time. Giratina let out a frustrated growl at the use of the word demon, but TDA put a hand to him.

"Easy now, Giratina. Their words mean nothing to us. He's clearly trying to spite us like that Lugia human did." He said. TDA turned toward Yveltal. "You know why I'm here, unless you really are that ignorant of your fellow Legendaries fates. Give me the orb, and I will walk away without bothering you further." He added. Yveltal let out a snort.

"_**And if I don't comply?**_" He said, laughing. It turns out that it was actually TDA who had the right to laugh in this situation.

"I have no issue killing you right here. I already plan to do it anyway once we take control of this universe. I might as well get it out of the way now if you choose to be uncooperative." TDA said smugly. Yveltal grunted.

"_**What's the point in cooperating if you're just going to kill me anyway?**_" Yveltal asked mockingly.

"A few extra weeks or months of life. And I guess I could kill Xerneas for you? I'm pretty sure I read that you two hate each other." TDA said. Yveltal simply shook his head, annoyed.

"_**Where did you humans get that silly little idea? So often I see your cultures portray Death as standing in opposition to Life, when that is not the true nature of things.**_" Yveltal said.

"Then enlighten me, bird." TDA challenged.

"_**Life and Death are lovers, more intertwined than any sort of mortal pairing. Life sends Death gifts, and Death keeps them forever. In return, Death gives even more gifts to Life, and the cycle repeats itself.**_" Yveltal said. TDA donned a slight smile.

"A metaphor then? So what you're basically saying is that the death of an organism allows new life to rise, as other organisms feed on the remains. Then, when those organisms die, their bodies are consumed by others, and the cycle continues?" TDA said. Yveltal nodded.

"_**That's more or less what I am saying.**_" Yveltal said. TDA let out a frustrated grunt and his gaze hardened.

"So then, is that what Arceus thinks? That death is a necessary process? That the death of an innocent being is justified if it sustains others? Bullshit! Is that what he thought when…!" TDA stopped himself, before letting out a frustrated yell. "Arg! It doesn't matter! In our new world, the righteous will get to choose when they want to die. No longer will their lives, their loved ones, everything they care about being taken from them so easily!" You know what? Fuck it. I'm going to kill you right here, right now, as a symbol of the just conquering death." TDA said with conviction. Yveltal adopted a battle stance. He was done with this insolent humans rambling. He would put an end to this no matter what.

"_**Then so be it! Clovis, come to me!**_" Yveltal yelled. Clovis nodded and ran to her avian companion. With a few quick movements and a flash of light, the two beings fused together. When the light settled, it seemed that only Clovis stood there. However, brilliant red wings burst from her back, horns sprouted from her head, and her eyes became the deep blue that Yveltal usually sported. TDA recoiled slightly.

"Hm, so you can fuse too…" TDA began to grow nervous. The last time an enemy fused on him it caused him significant problems and a broken leg. Yveltal also had a type advantage on Giratina, which complicated matters. But he couldn't turn back now, and Giratina was still vastly superior to Yveltal. He resolved to attack. "Fine then. We can deal with that." TDA snapped his fingers and Giratina scooped him up and placed him on his back.

The fusion of Yveltal and Clovis took this as a sign to attack, and let out a loud, avian screech. It charged forward, intending to strie Giratina, but the antimatter dragon simply teleported behind the fusion, striking them in the back with a tentacle. The fusion was knocked to the ground but quickly recovered and fired a blast of dark energy at Giratina.

"Shit!" TDA yelled as Giratina quickly flew out of the way.

"_**Fear not, for I know what I am doing.**_" Giratina said reassuringly to TDA. Giratina began to fly higher into the sky. "_**Don't you remember? I have that one move no other Pokemon has.**_" Giratina began to cloak himself in a shadowy cloud. "_**None can escape it, and these individuals are no different.**_" The cloud surrounding them began to become more opaque. "_**Hold on tight!**_" Giratina said as the cloud began to overtake the pair.

"_**Shadow Force!**_"

Within an instant the duo vanished. The fusion stood there, confused. Had they fled? Had they realized they were no match for such a fusion? Before it could process another thought, Giratina seemed to burst out of the fabric of reality itself, shattering it like class. Within that instant, he struck the fusion with all of his tentacles, sending it flying several meters.

The fusion struggled to get up, but it was far too weak to even stay together. It came apart and the constituent entities were separated. By that time, Giratina and TDA had already caught up to them. Noticing this, Yveltal moved to grab Clovis and fly off, but he was too late.

TDA did a motion with his hands, and Giratina impaled Yveltal with his tentacles. The tentacles pierced through his feather covered skin, and then his soft, fleshy organs. Yveltal let out a bird like screech that pierced the night sky. TDA was almost certain the screech could be heard several kilometers from here. He grinned and laughed to himself as Giratina shoved the tentacles further in, causing Yveltal to emit more screeches of pain. He relished this, as did his companion. He would have to make sure to do this to every Legendary from here on out, make them suffer all the pain they caused him and Giratina. Clovis looked on in horror as her companion was dismembered.

Once Giratina had felt that Yveltal's insides were sufficiently mashed, he removed his tentacles from the bird. Yvetlal promptly collapsed to the floor like a dead weight. Clovis let out a scream of horror.

"Hey, Giratina?" TDA asked his draconic friend.

"_**Yes?**_" He replied.

"If I remember correctly from my studies, when Yveltal dies it absorbs the life force of any living entity around it, then sleeps in a cocoon to rejuvenate. Think it'll happen here?" He said. As if on cue, a purple energy started appearing around the Death Bird.

"_**Yes. Don't worry, I will not allow him to absorb yours. I shall protect you.**_" Giratina said, wrapping his tentacles around TDA and placing him close to his body, then turned away from the bird. "_**Fear not, for he can not absorb my life force. I am leagues above his power.**_" Giratina added.

The purple energy began to connect with any living thing in the vicinity, save for Giratina and TDA, the latter being protected by the former. One of the beings the energy connected to was Clovis, which caused the girl to panic.

"Yveltal! What are you doing!?" She yelled and frantically stood up.

"_**I… I can't… control it…**_" Yveltal said solemnly. Clovis panicked more as she felt the life force starting to leave her.

"Yveltal… Try to fight it…! Don't let me die…!" Clovis said, becoming weaker. Yveltal no longer had the energy to respond. The Bird of Death could only think "_**I'm sorry…**_" As he unwillingly absorbed the life of his companion.

Giratina, meanwhile, was deriving immense satisfaction from this sight, and TDA certainly would if he were able to see it. The scene of two servants of Arceus meeting their demise in such a slow fashion filled him with that hollow yet intoxicating feeling of revenge, even if he could not technically see it due to Giratina's body blocking his view. He knew it would only be so much better when he and his companion would do it to Arceus.

Clovis, in a last ditch effort for some sort of salvation, looked to Giratina. "H...Help… me… please…" She begged as the last of her life force was absorbed into Yveltal. Her body collapsed to the ground, her eyes lifeless and her face filled with fear.

As for Yveltal, a hard layer of… something started to form around him, taking the shape of a cocoon. The Death God no longer had the energy to react to anything, and accepted his fate as the cocoon fully encased him, putting him into a deep slumber until his body managed to recover.

With the matter settled, Giratina cast a glance at TDA. "_**Well, I suppose we'll have to retrieve the orb the old fashioned way.**_" Giratina muttered. His eyes began to glow a bright red. "_**I will see if I can sense where its located.**_" He added.

TDA did not respond. He looked at the cocoon with disdain, glad that the God of Death would trouble him no further. By the time he regenerated a new body, the universe will have long since been remade. And by then, there will be no more Legendaries to speak of. His eyes shifted over to the dead girl, and his expression softened. That same feeling he felt when he and Giratina killed Damian, a feeling of light regret. He shook his head. He shouldn't be feeling this, they were dirty servants of Arceus after all! But… wasn't it always the Legendaries that chose the humans, not the other way around? What if these people had simply been indoctrinated into Arceus' disgusting design, just as he once was? Did that make it right to kill them, if they can conceivably be converted?

"_**I sense you are troubled.**_" Giratina said with concern. TDA put an arm to his head.

"I guess I just have second thoughts about killing the humans. I am perfectly fine with killing these gods, but the humans are kind of… indoctrinated. The Legendaries choose them and integrate them into Arceus' plan, and they never really get a say." He lamented. Giratina didn't speak for a moment, seemingly considering this himself.

"_**I agree that this is a rather troubling thing to consider. But if you were to ask my opinion, I doubt it would be worth it to ponder the consequences of this for too long. Indoctrinated or not, these humans are servants of Arceus. We don't have the time to reason with them and overturn everything they've been told about Arceus and his creation. As bad as it may be, we must kill a few so the many can benefit.**_" Giratina said. TDA nodded.

"Yes, you're right. I don't know what came over me there." He replied. Giratina didn't reply, but instead directed his attention back to locating the orb. A few seconds later, he announced to TDA that he had found it.

"_**It's inside the cave that Yveltal and the human flew out of. It's fairly deep within the cave, but with the orb's guardians out of the way, we shouldn't have much trouble retrieving it.**_" Giratina said. TDA nodded in approval.

"Good, good. Let's just grab it and go. I don't want to be here any longer than I have to."

…

It was the middle of the night, and most of Marcus' group had been asleep for hours. But, sitting just outside the entrance to Xerneas' dwelling, Marcus himself sat eyeing the stars. It reminded him of that fateful night, where Reshiram had chosen him to be her partner. It felt like such a long time ago, even though it was only a month or so. He didn't know exactly why he decided to come out here. Perhaps it was the stress of an imminent attack from TDA, or the fact he was almost frozen by an empowered Weavile, or that he was still unsure how he felt about all of this. He knew that it was likely a combination of all three.

Come to think of it, this was one of the only opportunities he's had to reflect since becoming Reshiram's partner. The second they entered a partnership, he had to choose a starter Pokemon, stop a sex trafficking operation, and fight TDA twice (though he would hardly consider their first encounter a fight due to how quickly they were beaten). Then after that, he rigorously trained his Pokemon with Sarah for around a week, giving him hardly any downtime. It was only now, in a Legendary forest under a starlit sky, kilometers from civilization, that he had any time to truly think on his situation.

Of everything that's happened to him, one thing stuck out like a sore thumb. What Arceus did to Tranchant, and all the other souls that defied him, disturbed Marcus more than anything else he's encountered on this short journey. He couldn't think of any reason for Tranchant to be lying, and he seemed quite sincere and terrified as he told his story. All his life, Marcus had been told that Arceus was an all loving being, but this seemed to conflict with that idea. He thought about talking to Reshiram about it but there was no easy way to inject it into a conversation.

As he was mulling over these thoughts, he heard something exiting Xerneas' den. Marcus snapped his head to look at the source of the noise, worried it might be Tranchant or some other threat. However, it was only Sarah.

"Yo, what are you doing up so late…?" Sarah said groggily, wiping her eyes. Marcus laughed nervously.

"Hehe… Uh, I guess I just needed some time to think." He said. Sarah nodded and looked like she was about to go back to bed, but Marcus stopped her.

"Wait!" He said. Sarah turned back around.

"What do you want?" She groaned. Marcus didn't answer for a moment, considering if his problems were really worth bothering Sarah with. He decided that either way, he needed someone to talk to that wasn't a deity.

"I… I've just been thinking about some things and I think I need to talk about it with someone. If that's ok with you?" Marcus said with a small modicum of confidence. Sarah seemed to think about it for a moment before deciding to sit next to Marcus.

"Fine, whatever. I'll listen to whatever you've got on your mind." Sarah replied. Marcus smiled at this uncharacteristic gesture of kindness from her.

"Ok, so you remember when Tranchant was talking about his experiences in the afterlife? How he was in constant pain because he stood against Arceus?" Marcus asked. Sarah nodded.

"Yeah, that was actually pretty disturbing. Kinda hard to forget that, especially since it happened like earlier today." Sarah replied.

"Well it's been bothering me… Not just because it's disturbing to think about, but also because it has several implications on Arceus' nature. I can't speak for you, but I've always been told that Arceus is an all loving deity. But what kind of all loving deity would condemn anyone, no matter how bad, to eternal suffering?" Marcus asked. Sarah's face changed into a more serious, contemplative expression. A moment passed before she replied.

"I'm going to be honest here. Those two aspects of Arceus are completely irreconcilable. If Tranchant was telling the truth, and it really looked like he was, then Arceus is not the omnibenevolent being everyone passes him off to be." Sarah said bluntly. This was not the response Marcus wanted to hear. Marcus thought carefully about how to phrase what he was going to say next.

"Then… Might TDA actually have a point, at least somewhat?" Sarah's eyes widened with shock. This was the response he had expected from her.

"Come on, Marcus. You're not going to go that far, are you?" Sarah said. Marcus shrugged.

"That's the thing… I don't know. On the one hand, I don't think that his methods are justified, but on the other, maybe his heart is in the right place? Maybe something does need to be changed." He replied. Sarah donned a concerned expression.

"Even if he does have a point, is overthrowing the entire pantheon really the way to do it? From what I saw of him in the Johto battle, he seemed pretty sincere in his ambitions… but he did kill that one guy and tried to kill all of us as well. Even if he has a perfect vision for the world, do we really want someone who's probably at least a little nuts running the show?" Sarah asked. Marcus stopped to consider this for a moment.

"You have a point… I don't know what came over me. I guess all of this has been getting to my head." He replied. Sarah nodded.

"I may not show it as much as you, but it's stressing me out a little too. I try not to think about it." She said. No one spoke for a few moments. Sarah was the one to reinitiate the conversation. "Hey, if all of this deity stuff is bothering you, why don't you talk to Reshiram about it?" She asked. Marcus scratched the back of his head.

"I guess it would just be weird? Im supposed to be working with Reshiram to protect Arceus' design, so wouldn't it be rude to question it?" Marcus asked. Sarah chuckled a bit.

"I've questioned Arceus all the time with Zekrom! And he's so grumpy all the time. I'm sure someone as calm as Reshiram could be willing to answer a question about Arceus' creation." Sarah said.

"Yeah… Maybe I should talk to her about it." Marcus replied.

"I also think that's part of our goal as Legendary Humans. I think we're supposed to like learn about all this divine shit right from the sources. After all, we're like the only people that ever get to talk with the Legendaries in person." Sarah said. Marcus seemed to be reassured by this.

"Yeah, I really should just talk to her. Besides Zekrom, she's the only one that actually has seen Arceus. For that matter, you, her, and Zekrom are really the only people I can talk to about this. Our Pokemon aren't necessarily caught up on Legendary matters." Marcus said, chuckling a little at the last line.

No one said anything for a few minutes. Eventually, Sarah stood up and started heading back into the den. "Good talk, Marcus. Glad I could help you with your problem, but I'm so fucking tired. G'night." She said, leaving Marcus outside and with a lot to reflect on.

He knew that he'd have to talk to Reshiram, but he decided he'd do it after they'd wrapped up business with Xerneas. He didn't want to get her involved with this. So he sat outside a little while longer, before retiring to bed. As he walked back into his room, he thought of something.

"_I knew she said things would be intense… but I never expected this._"


	18. Zygarde, Magnificent Deity of Order

Yveltal's hibernation and Clovis' death had created a disturbance in Kalos. With the God of Death out of commission, serious damage would be wreaked upon the ecosystem. While death would still occur, as it always had before Yveltal's creation, it would no longer have a sense of order to it. No longer would death happen with the purpose of allowing the creation of new life. With no deity to regulate it, death had no purpose, no direction. This disturbance went unnoticed by most, but deep in the bowels of Terminus Cave, the Snake of Order, Zygarde, was fuming at the interruption of its plan for nature.

"_**DISTURBANCE DETECTED.**_" One of the hundred cells on Zygarde's body announced. One by one, the other cells repeated the same message, until the main body began to repeat the phrase again and again.

This was much to the annoyance of their human, who was sitting on the floor of the cave, using a computer for some unknown purpose. This human's name was Esmae, and they wore fairly casual clothing, save for their shirt, which had a green silhouette of Zygarde emblazoned on it. Clearly, they were more open about their status than most Legendary humans. They had short but unkempt blond hair, freckles all over their face, and shining green eyes. In addition, their appearance made it hard to discern whether they were male or female. After all, Esmae considered gender unimportant, and refused to use the concept all together, so they had no use for gender norms.

The annoyed human closed their laptop. "Zygarde, settle down!" They said. Their voice too made it hard to discern their biological sex. Zygarde did as their human asked and stopped repeating the overbearing phrase.

"_**ESMAE. FAILURE TO DETECT YVELTAL LIFE SIGNATURE. SCANNING YVELTAL DEN… COCOON FOUND! DISTURBANCE DETECTED! DISTURBANCE DETECTED! DISTURBANCE DETECTED.**_" Zygarde began to repeat the phrase again. Esmae sighed.

"Good Arceus…" Esame said, standing up. They walked over to Zygarde, and tried to comfort them with a soft stroke on their head. This calmed Zygarde enough to stop speaking. A moment passed before they spoke up again.

"_**ACTIVATING PROTOCOL Z-10. SENDING SCOUT FORM TO ANOMALY.**_" Zygarde announced. Suddenly, the numerous cells composing their main body began to separate. A small portion, about ten percent of them, moved away from where Zygarde usually stood and began to take a new shape. This new form was of a canid nature, but with Zygarde's color scheme, and a small scarf-like object tied around its neck.

In this form, Zygarde lost their speech capabilities (much to Esmae's relief), but retained their intelligence, though with some animalistic mannerisms. They barked at Esmae, and they knew instinctively what their now canine partner wanted. They ran to the dog-like cellular structure and mounted it.

"Guess we're going out for a little jaunt?" They asked. Zygarde gave a quick nod of the head and sped through the cave, rapidly following the path that led to the surface. They used their newly heightened smell to sniff out the location of the disturbance from hundreds of kilometers away. Zygarde noted something odd however, as he sped through the cold early morning air.

The anomaly was moving, and it was heading for Xerneas.

…

The night had passed and I hadn't gotten much sleep. Part of that was the fact I hadn't gone to bed until the dark hours of the morning, but the issues I had been contemplating were still present, as much as Sarah had helped with them. I did feel better than last night though, so supposed it was a good sign. But now I had to deal with more pressing matters.

Xerneas had awoken us in a panic, rambling in old english about how she was unable to feel Yveltal's aura. I already knew it had to be TDA. I mean, it couldn't really be anyone else could it. That meant we had picked wrong in choosing to protect Xerneas. I felt so stupid now that our plan had failed. Why would he have any reason to attack Xerneas first? He could have easily gone for Yveltal first, and the result would be the same. He hadn't even outsmarted us this time, we just fucked up and gave him an easy win.

But Reshiram had gone along with it. Wasn't she supposed to be vastly more intelligent than me? Shouldn't she have seen the flaws in this plan? Was it a test to see if I would be able to pick the plan apart? Or was she not as intelligent as she claimed? Gah! I can't think about this right now! Yveltlal has fallen to TDA, Xerneas is next, and I have no idea what to do!

We knew TDA would be coming for us any moment. The least I could do was get in some extra training to try and be a little stronger for when he arrived. Sarah and I had agreed to train outside Xerneas' den, and Absalon decided to watch us.

Sammy was by far my weakest Pokemon, besides Frenc, so I prioritized him. Besides, I was sure Grace could handle herself decently in a battle now. So I decided to pin Sammy against Snek, seeing as he was Sarah's only mortal Pokemon. Sammy seemed to be faring better than he was yesterday, but he was still obviously worried. The impending approach of TDA wasn't helping matters.

Sammy, while being at a type disadvantage, still managed to put up a good fight against Snek, and even almost managed to knock him out on one occasion, causing Sarah to swear in surprise. Absalon was absorbed by our training. It was as if he'd never seen a Pokemon battle before. Sarah seemed to notice this, as she became mildly annoyed at each excited gasp from Absalon everytime one of our Pokemon landed a hit.

"Is this your first Pokemon battle or something? What are you getting so excited for?" Sarah asked him in slight annoyance. Absalon shrugged.

"Xerneas and I don't get out very often. She doesn't like civilization that much…" He said, a tone of sorrow at the last line.

"What's her problem?" Sarah asked.

"She thinks it's too noisy, or that the cities are too polluted, or that it's too boring. Honestly, her excuse changes every month." He replied, chuckling bitterly.

"Do you want to go out more often?" I asked. Absalon nodded.

"Yeah. But I don't want to bother Xerneas about it." He replied.

"You should talk with her about it. I'm sure she'd be happy to let her human get into the big city every now and then." Sarah chimed in. Absalon sadly nodded his head.

"I'm not so sure." He said. I was about to inquire why, when Xerneas emerged from her den. Her eyes narrowed when she spied Absalon.

"_**Absalon! What art thou doing just sitting there? Have you no ears? An attack is imminent! Thou must prepare thyself!**_" Xerneas yelled. Absalon opened his mouth to respond but Xerneas barked back a retort. "_**I do not wish to hear your excuses! I only require that thou rise and prepare for battle!**_" She yelled. The now slightly terrified boy nodded quickly. Xerneas glared at us a little longer before retreating back to her den. Absalon looked back at us.

"She doesn't really like it when I say something that goes against what she thinks." He said bitterly. Sarah and I exchanged concerned looks.

"What do you mean by that?" I asked. Absalon shrugged.

"I dunno. She treats me like I'm a kid. Well, a younger kid than I am now." He kicked some dirt. "I'm fourteen! I should be able to have some say in what we do, shouldn't I?" Neither of us responded, seeing as we didn't know the first thing about parenting. Both of us were barely adults, and I had been orphaned for eight years. I decided to change the subject slightly.

"How did you meet Xerneas?" I asked him. Absalon sighed.

"I can't remember life without her. I dunno if I was just abandoned as a child or what, but I can't remember a day she wasn't there. She raised me, and she's always been kind of authoritative. Honestly, I'm not sure if she's had a human in a long time, or if she ever even had one at all before me." He said, pausing a moment before continuing. "I'm smarter than I look, you know. I know she doesn't see me as an equal, and I know all the other Legendary pairings are supposed to be equal partnerships. But ours just isn't." Absalon looked like he was going to continue, but stopped himself. He stood up and started walking back towards the den.

"Where are you going?" Sarah asked. Absalon didn't look back.

"I shouldn't be talking about her behind her back like this. She did raise me after all, so I should be more grateful. Anyways, it was nice talking to you two and seeing you guys battle, but I have to get ready." He said as he walked into the den. Sarah and I looked at each other once more.

"Yeesh, I guess not all Legendary relationships are perfect. But I guess I should know that what with me being Zekrom's partner and all." Sarah said, trying to lighten up the mood.

"Sarah, I think it might be more serious than that. I mean, you saw how Xerneas scolded him." I replied.

"What? It's not much different from how Zekrom scolds me." She said.

"Well… I apologize for saying this, but you deserve it most of the time." I said. Sarah shrugged.

"That's fair." She said. I searched for the words to describe what I felt was off with Absalon and Xerneas.

"He was just watching us train our Pokemon. And I don't see why he'd need to get ready so quickly. I don't mean any offense to him, but I don't think he'll be very useful in a fight." I said.

"Maybe Xerneas is just flustered now that TDA got Yveltal. We don't know what their relationship was. And I mean, remember Damian and Lin? You saw how Lin reacted when she was told that Damian died and shit. I wouldn't be surprised if they were lovers, so how do we know it's not the same for Xerneas and Yveltal? She could just be stressed." Sarah pointed out.

"But didn't Absalon seem… used to this sort of thing? Why would that be the case if this was just a one time thing?" I asked. Sarah paused for a moment, seemingly thinking on this.

"...Ok, you got me. But I don't think it would be a good time to bring it up right before a battle. We can address it if it really concerns you that much, but let's wait till after we get our asses kicked by TDA again." Sarah said with a half serious tone. My spirits weren't exactly uplifted by the insinuation that we would lose to TDA again.

"Hey, you don't know that he'll beat us…" I said with an admittedly small amount of confidence.

"Eh, we'll just have to see if our training has paid off. That, and hope our Legendaries are able to do more this time." She said jokingly. I could only nod to assure myself.

"Well, guess now we just have to wait for him to show up. Unless you're up for more training?" I asked. Sarah nodded. We stood up and moved to head to our battling positions, when I found myself tackled to the ground by something. "Shit!" I yelled. Whatever had tackled me began to frantically claw my back, causing me to scream from the unbearable pain.

Sarah quickly ran over and kicked the attacker off of me, eliciting a yip from whatever was on me. From the corner of my eye, I saw a grey blob fly several meters before crashing into some nearby bushes. I heard a grunt of pain followed by copious swearing coming from the bushes, before a small gey figure emerged out of them. My eyes widened in horror as I realized who it was.

It was the dead Weavile, Tranchant.


	19. The LPC

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You thought I would continue the Tranchant thing at the end of last chapter, but you thought wrong muhahahahahahaha!
> 
> In all seriousness, here's an interlude continuing Chris and Lisa's story. I should probably say that I only envision them having around ten chapters dedicated to them across the story. It may not seem like it now, but they are crucial to the plot, so remember them.
> 
> Also, I linked this story on Fanfiction.net, but I don't think I've done it here. A close friend of mine has a story here called Just Another Street Rat. It's an Eeveelution story that features some romance and a lot of political commentary. 
> 
> Here's the link if you are interested: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16299068/chapters/38121512
> 
> Anyways, hope you enjoy!

_Per Rowan's request, Lisa and I went to where his note told us to go. The location turned out to be an abandoned building near the school. Yes, it was as shady as it sounded. Under any other circumstances, I would be incredibly cautious and would probably have brought a weapon, but Rowan was the one who sent me and surely a renowned Pokemon professor wouldn't be affiliated with criminal activity. At least, that's what I kept convincing myself… Maybe I should have brought a weapon._

_In any case, Lisa and I were waiting for the "operative" that Rowan said would be meeting us. I puzzled over what they might look like. Given all the secrecy surrounding this organization, I assumed they'd be heavily cloaked, so I supposed their appearance didn't matter. Lisa looked over to me._

_"What do you think the organization will be like?" She asked. I shrugged._

_"Not sure. All I know is what Rowan told us. That we're supposed to be participating in efforts to protect the Legendaries." I replied._

_"But I wonder why the Legendaries would need an organization like this. Do they really have to deal with threats that often?" Lisa asked. I shrugged again._

_"I assume it's a precaution. You never know when some group might just spring up out of nowhere." I replied. Lisa nodded._

_"I guess that's fair." She said. Neither of us said anything for a few moments. Apparently tired of the silence, Lisa tried to revive the conversation. "Man, I just can't wait! All our lives we've dreamed of this, and now we'll finally get the chance to fulfill that dream!" She said, barely containing her excitement. I laughed, finding her eagerness adorable._

_"I can't wait either. This operative can't get here fast enough." I replied. Just then, I heard rustling outside. Both of us snapped our heads in the direction of the noise. Was it a Pokemon? No, the source let out a rather loud "Fuck!", so it must have been human._

_"Who's there?" I yelled, some aggression in my voice. Surprisingly enough, the voice replied._

_"Why are you acting like I'm gonna hurt you? Look, if you two are Chris and Lisa then you have nothing to worry about. Apparently, I'm supposed to meet you two here. Do I have the right people?" A rather calm and casual voice asked. Cautiously, I said yes._

_The source of the voice immediately leapt through one of the broken windows. He was obviously from Kanto or Johto, judging by the skin tone. He also had short, spiky silver hair and clothing far too casual for this supposedly important meeting. He was quite scrawny though, and it didn't look like he had a weapon, so I calmed down. He looked at us and donned a friendly grin, his eyelids half closed._

_"Hey there! Name's Damian. I'm the guy that's supposed to meet you. Sorry I ran late, but Lugia insisted on dropping me off outside of the city, so that no one would see us. Which I know is complete bullshit might I add, since all Legendaries can make themselves selectively invisible. He was probably just fucking with me as usual." Damian greeted, mini rant aside. Wait… did he say Lugia!? Surely he must be joking, right._

_"Wait… Lugia?" Lisa asked, catching on as well. Damian nodded._

_"Yeah, I'm his partner, Pretty cool, huh? Most Legendaries have one of us." He replied. Lisa and I stayed silent, out of pure astonishment, but also the hope that Damian would provide an explanation for all of this. "Oh, I should probably explain myself, shouldn't I?" Damian said, rubbing the back of his head. We nodded, urging him to continue._

_"Ok, so basically, most Legendaries choose human partners to represent them, and sometimes also for companionship. Being a god can get a bit lonely I guess. They also assist the Legendary they are chosen by in various tasks. I am Lugia's chosen human, and since Lugia is a pretty minor Legendary all things considered, they usually call me up to recruit new people for the LPC. It's not like we have much else to do usually." Damian explained._

_I was ecstatic to hear new information about the Legendaries, information that not even my Legendaries Studies course covered. Was Rowan aware of this? He must be, seeing as he had connections to the LPC. Does that mean there are other things about the Legendaries that can only be known to the LPC? I sure hoped so._

_"Well now that that's out of the way, why don't we get on with it? I'm excited to proceed!" Lisa said, capturing our excitement perfectly._

_"Not so fast, my dude and dudette. I'm about to give you your first assignment, but you're gonna need a little debriefing." Damian said. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a badly folded, crumpled piece of paper. He unfolded it and smoothed out its wrinkles, then read it silently before speaking._

_"Ok, so we got these two new teams out in Hoenn that are causing a bit of a problem. They call themselves Team Magma and Team Aqua, and they want to control Groudon or Kyogre, respectively. Magma thinks the world needs more land and Aqua thinks it needs more ocean, so they want to use their respective Legendaries to make their desires so. Your job is to work with other members of the LPC to stop their efforts." Damian said. Lisa and I gave each other confused looks._

_"You're already throwing us into the thick of it?" I asked._

_"What? Can't take it? The LPC is a demanding organization, kid. You're gonna have to step up to the plate." Damian chastised. I put up my hands in defense._

_"Th-That's not w-what I meant!" I stuttered out. Damian just laughed and slapped my shoulder._

_"I'm just fucking with you, dude. Lighten up." He said. I merely looked away in embarrassment. Damian continued. "Anyways, it shouldn't be too hard. Some of the LPC's best guys are on the job too. Besides, this should be a great experience for you get to go to Hoenn, battle some bad guys, and possibly even meet up with Groudon, Kyogre, and maybe even Rayquaza. That's more than I usually get to do." He said, in a moderately envious manner. He pulled out another piece of paper and handed it to us. "This has the address of the LPC Sinnoh headquarters. They want you there first thing in the morning tomorrow." He turned around and began to walk away._

_"Where are you going?" Lisa asked. Damian put up a hand, but didn't turn around._

_"Heading home. Not much of a point sticking around this joint." He replied, continuing to walk. But suddenly he stopped and turned his head to look at me. "Say… Chris, can I ask you something. I've had something on my mind lately." He said. I was taken aback by this request. Why would he want to ask me something?_

_"Wh-What is it?" I asked. He grinned at me._

_"If you were offered immortality, would you take it?" He simply asked. Disregarding the weirdness of the question, I delivered my response._

_"Yes. No question about it." I said. Damian simply chuckled._

_"Wrong answer, kid. Things get boring after a while." And just like that, he left without another word, leaving Lisa and I more confused than ever._

_We looked at each other, holding our gaze for a long time. Thoughts of all the adventures we were about to have flooded through our minds. This was the culmination of all of our fascination and gratitude for the Legendaries. We didn't know what was in store for the future, but we did know one thing._

_It was going to be the best experience of our lives._


	20. Yin and Yang

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Valentines Day!
> 
> I've got a special chapter here for you to celebrate. This is the first instance of what I'll call "Special Chapters", chapters that will deviate from the main story line and be sort of like extra scenes. In addition, I am open to requests if any of you want a scene. Just know I will not be adding anybody's OC into the story, it must only involve existing characters.
> 
> This chapter was a collaboration between a good friend of mine, Creativeguy39, who is the writer of Just Another Street Rat, another Pokemon fan fiction. He is the writer of the first scene in this chapter, while I wrote the second. Go show him some love!
> 
> Here's his story: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16299068/chapters/38121512
> 
> Anyways, see you at the bottom of the page.
> 
> I wonder if we'll ever get back to Tranchant...

The two of them were on a cliff along the coast, away from the others. Reshiram was reclined on the grass on her side, her wings out in front of her and her gleaming blue eyes gazing at the evening sky above the ocean. Unfortunately, they were facing east, and the sunset behind them was being blocked by Kalos' forests and mountain ranges.

But who was with Reshiram? Well, to answer the question, it was none other than her masculine Yin counterpart, Zekrom. He was laying with his head against her chest, his lower half dangling off the edge of the cliff over the calm sea below, his dark, armoured body only being kept from falling in by the anti-gravitational field being produced by his conical tail.

"_**Is it fair that we keep doing this?**_" Reshiram suddenly questioned, breaking the silence.

"_**Huh?**_" Zekrom inquired in his deeper voice.

"_**A lot has been going on as of late.**_" Reshiram elaborated. "_**TDA and Giratina are a growing threat, Marcus still has much to learn about being a Legendary Human, and…**_" she threw a wing up in frustration.

"_**Yeah, things are shit right now, huh…**_" Zekrom agreed. He gazed up at her feathered white face, the face that put him in a trance whenever he looked at it.

"_**So I wonder if it's selfish of us to keep stealing away like this to be alone.**_" Reshiram explained. "_**You need to be there for Sarah, I definitely need to be there for Marcus, and overall, there's just too much on our plate for us to be skulking away from the others all the time.**_"

Zekrom shook his head as he gazed up at his counterpart. "_**I disagree, Rammy. You're right that the world isn't in a good state right now, and as Legendaries, we're definitely key players in fixing things up. But I don't think that means we need to completely give up spending time together.**_"

Reshiram's eyes were locked into his, and he couldn't help but recall the first thing he ever saw: those ultramarine eyes, staring back at him with amazement and confusion. Not amazement and confusion directed towards him, mind, but towards all creation. Now, he looked into those same eyes, and though the amazement was gone, and the world seldom confused her anymore, a deep wisdom had taken residence within her irises, and coupled with it was… doubt?

Wait a minute. Perhaps that was just in reaction to what he had said. Yes, it was. "_**But TDA could attack Xerneas at any moment. What if he were to do so now? What if he attacks the others? What if Marcus, Sarah, Snek, Sammy, Grace, and Frenc are all attacked by TDA while we're here, unable to support them, standing idle?**_"

Zekrom raised a hand and put it to her snout, silencing his counterpart. "_**We're within range of Grace's psychic. If there were a threat, she could alert us in less than a second, and we'd be over there in less than thirty, if we choose to use our tails to improve our speed.**_"

The Vast White dragon pondered this, and then sighed in defeat. "_**I suppose you're right, Zeze.**_" Satisfied with his victory, he pushed his cheek deeper into her feathers. "_**Though, I sense unease coming from you. You're not entirely convinced of your own words, are you?**_"

"_**You read me like a book, Rammy.**_" Zekrom commented. "_**Yeah, you're right. This whole situation's been getting to me. Giratina's more powerful than any of us can hope to be, and he's getting stronger with every orb they take. TDA himself has proven to be on a whole other level when it comes to tactics, as well. And now they supposedly have undead allies…? All in all, the odds seem to be against us. No, they're **_**definitely **_**against us.**_"

Reshiram would have looked for something to say, but knew she couldn't, for all of what her partner said was truth. She remained there for a few minutes, digesting what he had said. Gazing down at his troubled, crimson eyes, she too remembered when she had first seen them. Thanks to their bright colour, they had been the first thing her eyes registered before them, blinking lazily as though their owner had just been awakened prematurely from a much-needed nap. Now, they sparkled with personality, and beyond it fear. Fear, she could tell, for Arceus, all the mortals of the world, and for themselves. It made her heart sink.

"_**What will happen after this? That's what scares me the most.**_" Zekrom further elaborated to his mate. "_**We don't know how much things will change as a result of this war. We don't know what will happen to the world.**_" He paused as another thought came to him. "_**Rammy… we don't know what will happen to US!**_"

Reshiram couldn't help but shudder a little as she thought of that. "_**Yes… that is a terrifying thought…**_" TDA likely wouldn't give them an afterlife of any sort, but would instead just eliminate them as beings entirely. What would it be like, to simply not exist? She dared not ponder it too long. She needed to maintain a strong mental state, for herself, for Marcus, and for Zekrom.

"_**Rammy… look at that kickass ocean. Look at the horizon. Look at the clouds above them. Isn't it all so beautiful? Isn't it all so wonderful? I don't wanna lose any of that! I don't wanna lose the succulent aroma of a rare steak being made with one of your beautiful Blue Flares! I don't wanna lose the sensation of your feathers against my cheek!**_" He pushed his cheek deeper into her chest, and she became aware of tears tickling her feathers. "_**I don't wanna lose the sky. I don't wanna lose the trees. I don't wanna lose the cities. I'll never say it to her face, but I don't wanna lose Sarah, either.**_"

Reshiram remained silent, letting Zekrom say what he wanted to say. Correction, what he _had_ to say. She slowly patted his head with a hand as she heard him sniffle a little. From her experience, which there was a lot of, her mate was the purest-hearted Pokémon to ever grace this world. It killed her to see him like this, to know that the world was in such a bad state that even her Zeze was having doubts.

"_**And more than anything else… I don't want to lose my Rammy.**_"

"_**Zekrom.**_" Reshiram said suddenly in an urgent tone, raising her head. "_**I cannot give you false reassurance, or tell you without doubt that we will win this war. But I can tell you that I shall personally make sure that if TDA does succeed, he will have scars to remember us by. I promise you, here and now, that I will fight to the absolute limit to see that Giratina lays defeated on the ground in front of us, his goals shattered before his eyes and his dreams little more than falling ash. Until the instant that I am cold and dead, I shall fight bitterly to see that the world is preserved.**_"

He went silent, taken aback by his mate's sudden outburst. She wrapped a wing around his torso to gently pull him closer to herself. "_**I cannot promise you we will win. But I will promise you that that vindictive pair will have to face my fire in its full might before they can even think of victory.**_"

Zekrom's voice gained a more determined tone, similar to hers. "_**Yeah… and if they even think of hurting you, they had better be ready for a gigawatt of electricity, coupled with one million newtons of force!**_"

"_**If they want a fight, then a fight they shall receive! And they shall regret the day they crossed Reshiram and Zekrom!**_" She gazed down at her mate warmly. "_**Besides, love conquers all, does it not?**_"

The Deep Black dragon laughed. "_**I suppose you're right, Rammy.**_" However, he noticed that her gaze was transforming into a stern glare. The stern glare, in fact, that Cobalion is best known for, but in reality simply learned off of Reshiram. "_**Erm… is everything alright, Rammy?**_"

"_**You haven't been polishing your scales.**_" she uttered accusingly. He blinked twice, taken aback by the sudden observation.

"_**Well… well, Sarah said I look dumb with polished scales, so I stopped doing it.**_" Her reaction of slowly shaking her head made him immediately regret his decision.

"_**I don't care what Sarah says. You look handsome with polished scales. The added lustre accentuates your deep shade of black.**_"

"_**Yes, Rammy.**_" He was tempted to call her 'mother' instead of his usual nickname of Rammy, but that wouldn't have ended well.

The sky had darkened to as dark as it could get without completely disguising Zekrom within the sky. They laid there for a few more minutes, simply enjoying one another's presence, until Zekrom finally said, "_**We should be going soon, huh?**_"

…

At the request of my beloved human, I had hurried grabbing Yveltal's orb and leaving the area as quickly as possible. TDA, while noble in ambition and unafraid to take drastic measures to ensure that vision comes to fruition, he did always have a slight aversion to killing. Not the Legendaries, of course, but rather the poor humans that were tricked into serving them. I did feel some regret for killing them as well… but only slightly. The billions of years I've spent trapped in the Distortion World, consumed by loneliness and hatred, have not been kind to my sympathy for Arceus' followers.

In any case, we were flying to our next destination, TDA perched on my back, lazily reclining. I would chastise him for practicing such unsafe behavior, but I didn't bother. We both knew I wouldn't let anything happen to him.

"Once again, that part of the plan went off without a hitch. I can almost see us at the Hall of Origin, finally claiming the throne from Arceus." My precious human said.

"_**Indeed. I relish the moment when we will tear Arceus apart and make a world where justice is served as it should be.**_" I said, agreeing with him. "_**However, as always, we must not get cocky. As well as the plan is going so far, we must remember that overthrowing a supreme deity is difficult. I'm particularly anxious about confronting my siblings.**_" I warned. I began to glare in frustration at the memory of my siblings. Dialga and Palkia, my brothers, who didn't side with me when I stood against Arceus. Uxie, Mesprit, and Azelf, my younger siblings, who would never disobey Arceus even if their immortal lives depended on it. But I couldn't think about that right now. I had to focus on what was immediately important.

"I know that, Giratina. Don't worry, I'll be ready when the time comes." He said reassuringly, stroking my neck as we flew at exhilarating speeds. I loved and hated when he did that more than anything. His touch… it was so soothing, the only positive contact I've felt in billions of years. I'd spent all that time watching the world Arceus cast me out of from the prison he created specifically for me, watching with unbridled hatred as people and Pokemon alike suffered unjustly and how the Legendaries did nothing to stop it. I envied those who lived in the light, while I rotted in the darkness. Everyone feared me, or hated me, or both, and I was the sole object on which the world blamed its problems.

But he was different from the others. He saw me as a partner and friend. Of the billions of years that had passed since my banishment, he was the only being who freed me. Yes, there were the cultists that had written the book that he had found and used to summon me, but they were just crazed lunatics that had a warped perception of me. Indeed, I had watched as numerous groups dedicated to me rose and fell, all with the idea that I was a dark god. They took innocent lives, both of people and Pokemon, in my name. I felt no sympathy for them when their time came and they were cast into the Wall. But TDA understood me, knew what I was and what I wanted.

Perhaps that was why I was so madly in love with him.

Legendaries are binary when it comes to romantic attraction. They are asexual or pansexual, and nothing in between. When it comes to me, I happen to fall into the latter category. Everything about TDA solidified my attraction to him. The way he would soothingly console and caress me when my anger began to boil or when I was lamenting about my past, the determination he had to create a world that benefited not only himself, but every righteous being in the universe, the genuine care he had for me unlike my "worshipers", and his handsome appearance...

But I could never be with TDA, and it tore me apart inside. I knew his mind, knew his feelings, like any Legendary does with their human. He harbors no romantic feelings for me. And our goal… We couldn't make a relationship work while the plan was in play.

But my mind will always think back to his warm touch and soothing words, and I will always fantasize about holding his tender body close to my colossal form with one of my tentacles, him hugging me back.

However, I will not let my unrequited love for him get in the way of our goal. Even if our love is not romantic, I will still give everything I have to make sure he is safe and I will do anything to achieve our perfect world, where we can live together peacefully. If he were to die, I would personally tear this universe asunder, bit by bit, until either Arceus kills me or I shred the universe to its last atom and create a new one from the ashes. After that… I'm not even sure I'd want to be alive… Oh, how this human has affected me. TDA, my friend, my muse, my love.

Love. What a beautiful thing. But it's just another thing Arceus has denied me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's right bois we have homosexuality in this fic. Take it or leave it.
> 
> Well, this chapter definitely gave some extra character for Reshiram, Zekrom, and Giratina. I've wanted these characters to get a bit more of a spotlight (even if Giratina has plenty already).
> 
> Anyways, see you next time!


	21. Spirit of the Wall

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back!
> 
> As I type this A/N, eating pizza, I would like to say that chapters are going to be longer after this. At the same time, I'm doubling the time I work on this, so chapters should come out around the same time they do now. This way, you guys get more content per update.
> 
> Anyways, see you at the bottom.

I could only grunt in surprise and fear as Tranchant slowly ambled his way toward me. He was limping, due to the kick Sarah had given him, but his pupiless eyes were focused intently on me and he seemed poised to strike.

"_Bonjour_… M-Marcus… Fuck that hurt…" He said in between heavy breaths. He stopped for a moment, readjusted himself, and spoke once more. "No matter, I still have plenty of energy to try to kill you! More or less anyway." He said. Sarah stepped in front of me, protectively.

"As if! You may have all of your fancy amplified powers, but Xerneas could still beat the shit out of you!" Sarah yelled. Tranchant snapped his fingers and let out a little chuckle.

"Aha, but there are two things you haven't thought about! One, Xerneas seems to be somewhere else at the moment. Now, you could make a commotion and attract her attention, but this leads to the second thing. I actually have no idea how well my powers work against her. I know they compensate more than enough for my weakness to normal Fairy types, but I don't know how well they work against Legendaries." Tranchant did a playful little wink at me. "So! How about we find out, eh Marcus?" He challenged.

Without waiting for so much as a response, he jumped toward me, intent on mangling my face. I quickly tried to move out of the way, but he grazed my arm with his claws. Leaving a large gash. Immediate pain shot through my body, and it took everything I had to keep from screaming. Tranchant chuckled as he landed behind me. I quickly turned around to find him preparing to lung again, but Grace blasted him with Psybeam. The attack didn't phase him. Damnit, Dark types are immune to psychic attacks!

"You think that'll cut it, Gardevoir? I have the type advantage!" He yelled. He spun a claw around quickly, forming a dark ball and launched it at Grace. It made a direct impact, and knocked Grace to the ground immediately, the sheer force of the attack being too much for her. Tranchant laughed and returned his attention to me. "Ok, that was mildly annoying, but I'm not here to mess with your Pokemon. I only need you." He said, twirling his claw again and conjuring an icy ball.

Reshiram and Zekrom attempted to attack Tranchant, but he quickly used Icicle Crash. The attack hit both of them directly, and Zekrom immediately collapsed, letting out a bellow. I cringed as I thought of the pain he must have experienced. I'd heard ice attacks were incredibly painful to Dragon Types. Reshiram was still relatively okay though, and she prepared Fusion Flare, but Tranchant used Icicle Crash once again. This time, it did her in, and she collapsed next to Zekrom.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Snek slithering behind Tranchant, preparing to take him by surprise. Fortunately for me, the dead Weavile didn't seem to notice, as he was too focused on me. Snek sprang up from the ground, sinking his teeth into Tranchant's neck. Tranchant let out a scream of pain and frantically shook his head, attempting to throw Snek off of him. Snek managed to cling on, and sink his teeth in harder, drawing blood. The Weavile screamed in rage and grabbed Snek, ripped him out, and tossed him aside. He looked at me, his grin now replaced by a furious grimace and his white eyes narrowed in hatred. He ran at me, yelling in pure, unbridled anger, claws ready and his hands glowing with ice, intended to freeze my heart. Instinctually, I put my hands in front of me in a puny attempt at self defense.

But all of a sudden, Sammy came out of nowhere and tackled Tranchant, an impressive feat considering an Oshawott's rather small size. Tranchant flailed and scrambled in blind fury as he tried to get Sammy off of him.

"What the hell are you doing, Oshawott!? Get off of me!" He yelled. Sammy did his best to keep Tranchant down.

"No! I won't let you hurt Marcus!" Sammy yelled. Tranchant flailed more frantically.

"Have you considered that it might actually be a good thing if I kill him!? It would save me and a lot of others some unnecessary suffering! What good has Arceus ever done us anyway?" Tranchant asked. He looked at me. "Did that little story I told you have any impact on your opinion of him whatsoever?" I didn't respond, too surprised to do anything. Tranchant growled. "Well!?" He yelled.

"I-I…" Was all I could sputter out. Tranchant grinned and let out a snicker.

"Sure, it must be easy for your kind to be ok with him. I belonged to a noble family in life, who devoutly worshipped Arceus, so it's not like I'm ignorant on the big guy. But my experiences in life and death have shown me that Arceus is just a piece of shit!" Tranchant slammed a fist on the ground. "What kind of god just shoves everyone who disagrees with him into a state of eternal suffering? Is that a just god, Marcus? Is that a just god!?" He said, his voice rising back to a yell.

I couldn't reply. The consolation Sarah gave me was doing little to help me now, and my thoughts returned to Arceus and this conflict with what everyone perceived him to be. Tranchant squirmed some more.

"I'm not too into whatever it is Giratina and the Alolan are trying to do, but they seem to have their hearts in the right place. Whatever their vision for the world is, it's gotta be better than that arrogant llama!" Tranchant said. Sammy grabbed his shell and slashed Tranchant's back with it, eliciting another scream of pain.

"I don't know much about Arceus, but you can't just hurt people!" Sammy yelled.

"Oh you're going to paint me as the bad guy, are you?" Tranchant snapped back.

"Yes! You're being mean to us just because we're on Arceus' side!" Sammy said.

"I'm doing it for my freedom! What do _you_ have to gain from helping that divine piece of shit?" Tranchant replied. Sammy didn't have an answer… and I honestly didn't either. Tranchant took advantage of this and kicked Sammy off of him. He let out a short, high pitched whine as he flew several meters, and I could feel my fistss begin to clench in anger.

Rather than turning his attention back to me, Tranchant kept his focus on Sammy, who was now recovering from being kicked. Particles of ice were beginning to form around Tranchamt's claws. Another ice attack, this time directed at Sammy. Sammy noticed this as well, and drew his shell, ready to fight back.

Before I could intervene, the two jumped at each other. Sammy used Razor Shell and blocked Tranchant's claws. The two held that position for a few moments, before Tranchant jumped back and quickly maneuvered behind Sammy, striking him in the backside. Sammy stumbled a bit, but managed to recover, and shot out a burst of water at Tranchant, causing him to stumble as well. The Weavile fired back with a blast of dark energy coming from his claws. Sammy countered with another water blast. The two attacks collided and canceled each other out.

Tranchant growled and jumped at Sammy, who tried to counter with Razor Shell, but he was too slow and Tranchant tackled him to the ground. Sammy tried to flail to get the gnashing Weavile off of him, but to no avail. Tranchant began to scratch Sammy repeatedly, creating large gashes. He was screaming now, and I couldn't stand by anymore.

Without thinking, I ran as fast as I could and kicked Tranchant with all my might. Just as when Sarah did it, the kick sent him flying several meters. Tranchant landed with a small thud and didn't get up. Had I knocked him out? I decided to tend to Sammy first before making sure. Tranchant had done quite a number on him. Several gashes lined his body all of which were bleeding profusely. I tried not to panic. A simple potion would fix this.

I called for Sarah, who was tending to Snek, and asked her for a potion. She nodded and went to fetch one from a bag. I looked back at Sammy, who was breathing heavily.

"M...Marcus…" He sputtered out. I reassuringly patted his head.

"It's ok, Sammy. Sarah's getting you a potion right now. You'll be fixed up in no time." I said. Sammy nodded his head, barely looking at me. I was about to ask Sarah what was taking her so long with the potion, when a powerful force hit the side of my face, tackling me to the ground.

"Gotcha, Marcus!" The all too familiar voice of Tranchant gloated. Dammit! He caught me off guard while I was tending to Sammy. What was I going to do now? He pinned me to the ground, and held a claw to my throat. I could only let out a few frightened grunts.

"You really should pay more attention to your surroundings. Oh well, not that it matters now." He moved the claw slightly against my throat, drawing some blood. "_Au revoir_… Marcus." Tranchant said, giggling in excitement, as he prepared to slash his claw across my throat, killing me. I braced for the inevitable pain that was sure to come… But I was instead met with a cry from Tranchant as something was thrown at him, causing him to fall off of me. Quickly, I scrambled to stand up before Tranchant could recover and pin me again.

As I was getting up, I noticed the object that had been thrown at the Weavile. A shell, Sammy's shell. I looked to where I'd left Sammy to find him limping over to me. He was clutching his stomach, which had a large gash across it, and was breathing heavily. I quickly rushed over to help him.

"Sammy, are you okay?" I asked. I immediately chastised myself for asking that. Of course he wasn't. Sammy only coughed up some blood in response. I heard more coughing, but from another, more distant source. Turning my attention to this source, I found it to be Tranchant, who was staggering towards me, coughing.

"Oh… I think you knocked the wind outta me…" The Weavile said, punctuating this with a coughing fit. I tried to look around for some help, someone to cover for Sammy and I. Reshiram and Zekrom were still recovering from Tranchant's ice attacks, Grace and Snek were still unconscious, I left Frenc in my bag (not that he could do much anyway), Sarah was still inside fetching the potion, and I had no idea where Xerneas and Absalon were.

To my dismay, Sammy stood in front of me and weakly held up his arms in a vain attempt to shield me.

"S-Sammy, stop it! You're in no condition to fight!" I protested. Sammy shook his head. He looked at me, and his face had the most serious expression I'd ever seen him have. It hit me just how different Sammy was from his usual cheery self. He looked like he was fully committed to this battle.

"I don't wanna just sit by while he tries to hurt you again!" He replied. I was shocked that he was this determined to continue, even in this state. "When he attacked us last time, I couldn't do anything. I haven't done anything in any of our fights with TDA either! You chose me to help you fight TDA, but I haven't done a single thing!" He continued. I didn't respond. I didn't think I could respond. He turned back to Tranchant. "I want to show you that I can do something. I won't let him hurt you, Marcus!" Sammy yelled with determination.

At that moment, a bright glow began to envelop Sammy. My Oshawott took his attention off of Tranchant to marvel at the energy surrounding him. "M-Marcus, what's happening!?" Sammy said, slightly panicked. I didn't know… When have Pokemon just started glow-

Wait… It can't be…

But it was. Sammy was completely covered in the glow now, and I could no longer see him. His form began to change shape, becoming taller, skinnier. I couldn't believe it… I knew this day would come, but I didn't expect it to be this soon. And yet, just as soon as it had started, the glow faded, revealing Sammy's new Dewott form.

His injuries had healed, and he looked much more serious than he had before. From behind me I heard something approaching. I whipped my head around to find Sarah, with a shocked look on her face, holding the potion I had requested. She smirked and threw the potion aside.

"Well, I'll be. He evolved, didn't he? Guess you won't be needing that potion right now, huh?" She said. I shrugged and looked back toward Sammy and Tranchant. The two stared each other down, glaring daggers at one another. Eventually, Sammy charged, shell in hand, toward the dead Weavile. Tranchant let out a little cry and charged as well.

Tranchant might have stood a chance against Sammy, had he not already become tired from fighting. The restorative effects of evolving had given Sammy an edge, and he easily slashed Tranchant over and over again, screaming in rage the whole time. Tranchant tried to fight back, but Sammy was too much for him, so he instead ran away from Sammy, toward the unconscious body of Grace. He put a claw to her neck.

"Nobody move or the Gardevoir gets it!" He threatened. Yet immediately after he said this, a blast of pink energy hit him, sending him flying off of Grace. Looking to where the attack had come from, we found the assailant to be none other than Xerneas.

"_**What art thou doing here, spirit? Return to whence thy came!**_" Xerneas yelled. Tranchant shook his head.

"No! Fuck this! I'm outta here!" He began to run away. Xerneas fired another blast of Fairy energy, but Tranchant was too fast for it, and the blast dissipated before it reached him. And just like that, he had gotten away again, speeding off into the distance.

And with Tranchant's retreat, I was left with a million buzzing thoughts. What else is new? Sammy had just evolved, something that would no doubt affect his personality, as evolutions tended to do. In addition, Tranchant had managed to stir up my uneasy feelings on Arceus, something I'd wanted to put aside until after we had wrapped up things in Kalos. Yet, I couldn't get them off my mind now. I knew what I had to do. I looked toward Reshiram and Zekrom, who were just starting to recover from their injuries. That Icicle Crash must have been more potent than I thought. Without waiting, I approached her. Her blue eyes fixated on me.

"_**Marcus! I'm so glad you're safe! And Sammy evolved, that's wonderful! If we keep this up, perhaps Frenc can evolve t-**_" I stopped her. I needed to get everything off of my chest right now, or it would just continue to eat at me.

"Reshiram… We need to talk."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, it finally happened, Sammy's first evolution! What a milestone!
> 
> Anyways, thanks for reading! As always, leave a review if you disliked something, or even if you just want to say you like the story.
> 
> See you next time!


	22. New Forms

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ayo, quarantine check.
> 
> In all seriousness, sorry for the wait. This chapter was a little hard to write and I'm currently dealing with the fallout from the Coronavirus being in my area.
> 
> Anyways, hope you enjoy!

A moment of tense silence followed my demand. Reshiram tilted her head in concern.

"_**What do you desire to talk about, Marcus?**_" She asked, with a hint of nervousness.

"I…" I took a moment to collect my thoughts before continuing. I had to phrase this a very certain way, or else Reshiram may get the wrong impression. "I want to clarify some things about Arceus." I said. Reshiram didn't reply, but stared at me expectantly, as if waiting for me to continue. "Is… Is Arceus really as perfect and benevolent as everyone says he is?" I asked. Reshiram's eyes widened in surprise.

"_**What would make you think he wasn't?**_" She asked.

"Well… What Tranchant said about his experience in the afterlife certainly raises a few questions in my mind…" I replied. Reshiram darted her eyes away from me.

"_**Marcus… I'm sure Arceus must have a good reason for inflicting that fate upon individuals like Tranchant…**_" She said, unconvinced. I was beginning to get frustrated.

"You don't know yourself, do you?" I asked, a slight edge in my voice. Reshiram sighed.

"_**I… I've only talked to Arceus three or so times in my life. Zekrom has interacted with him a similar number of times. We're unsure as to what Arceus's true personality is, but from our interactions with him, he seems to be a kind individual.**_"Reshiram said.

"Then how do you explain what Tranchant went through? Even if Tranchant was the worst Pokemon to ever exist, is eternal suffering really the right punishment? What crime would even deserve being tortured forever?" I asked, frustrated. Sarah was right. How can you reconcile the notion that Arceus is all loving with the fact that this afterlife of suffering awaits those who stand against him? Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Xerneas twitching nervously.

"_**I… I can't explain Tranchant's fate… But I don't think Arceus had malicious intent behind it.**_" Reshiram replied.

"Then what intent did he have!?" I said, my voice raising now. Reshiram's non answers were annoying me considerably.

"_**I-I don't know! It's not like Arceus to create something like this!**_" Reshiram yelled. Sarah, who was busy tending to Snek and Grace, decided to chime in.

"How do you know whether it would be like Arceus to do something when you hardly know him?" She asked. Reshiram didn't reply, and instead lowered her head in defeat, conceding to Sarah's point. Part of me was hoping that Reshiram would have an answer to all of this, but it seemed that she didn't know. That confirmed it. The Arceus that humans and Pokemon perceive is different than the true Arceus. One way or another, I was going to get answers, even if I had to ask him myself.

But would questioning him be such a good idea? After all, he could just as easily condemn me to the same fate as Tranchant. I… I needed to figure something out. Maybe getting Reshiram and Zekrom to support me would cause Arceus to be more open minded? That was a very real possibility, but I needed something more, some kind of leverage. And then it hit me.

"I'm going to catch Tranchant." I announced. Everyone's eyes widened in shock.

"_**Is… Is that wise? He despises you, and wants nothing more than your death.**_" Reshiram said with concern.

"I have to catch him. He could very well have been the evilest Pokemon in all of history, but even then he wouldn't deserve the fate he got. I want to save him. Not only that, I want to take him to Arceus, and I want to show him what he did to Tranchant. Maybe, if he is as benevolent as everyone says he is, he will take pity on Tranchant and free the rest of the souls." I replied. I wasn't entirely convinced with what I was saying, and my brain was racked with nervousness, but I knew I had to say it. Reshiram stared at me for a moment, before nodding her head.

"_**If that is what you feel you must do, then so be it. Part of being a Legendary's partner is making their own decisions. I shall follow you.**_" Reshiram said. Zekrom and Sarah nodded in agreement.

"We're with you, Marcus. If you wanna catch that ghost Weavile or whatever, then I guess I'll help." Sarah said, patting my back. I smiled, happy to see that my companions were quick to agree.

"Then it's settled. Next time we encounter Tranchant, we're going to catch him." I said, conviction in my voice. Everyone else nodded. It was settled then. With that matter out of the way, I turned my attention to the Copperajah in the room, Sammy.

His new evolution would undoubtedly bring some changes towards his behavior. It was common knowledge that evolutions typically caused Pokemon to mature mentally, and even bring about shifts in personality. For example, a newly evolved Charizard is often more disobedient and aggressive than its other forms. I wasn't entirely sure what changes a newly evolved Dewott underwent, so I was hoping to find out. I knelt down next to Sammy.

"Um… H-How do you feel? About evolving, I mean." I asked, somewhat nervous. Sammy looked at me curiously.

"I… I feel… I can't quite describe it…" He replied. His voice was different, slightly deeper and a little nasally. I wasn't sure how to respond, so I hoped he would continue speaking. Fortunately for me, he did. "I guess I feel… like I want to take things more seriously? I don't know if that's the best way to put it." He said.

"Hmm…" I mused.

"Something about standing up for you made me realize I have to do everything I can to protect you. It… It's the least I can do to thank you for choosing me." Sammy continued. He put a paw to his head, as if contemplating what to say next. "I don't know how much of this is just my evolution though…" He said. I couldn't answer him. Sammy shook his head.

"I just feel… so different. Is this what evolution is always like?" He asked. I couldn't answer that either. Sammy seemed to understand that I wouldn't be much help… Maybe Reshiram knew something?

"Reshiram? Could you come here for a minute?" I yelled to her. She was talking with Zekrom, and didn't seem to hear me. Sarah, however, did.

"Hey, fatass! Quit talking to your mate and let Reshiram go! Marcus wants to talk to her." Sarah yelled at Zekrom. Zekrom snapped to look at his human, a glare prominent on his face.

"_**Excuse me!? What kind of tone is that?**_" Zekrom yelled back. Sarah put up her hands defensively.

"Chill, I'm just messing with you. Marcus wants to see Reshiram, could you let her go for like five minutes?" Sarah replied. Zekrom's glare softened and he turned back to Reshiram.

"_**You should speak to him then.**_" He said, gesturing at me. Reshiram nodded and began to lumber her way toward me.

"_**Something the matter, Marcus?**_" She asked.

"Sammy needs some help understanding how his evolution will affect him, and I don't think I can help him much. Could you answer some of his questions?" I asked. She nodded her head.

"_**My pleasure.**_" She replied. "_**So then, what does this Dewott wish to know?**_"

"Uh… Well, I guess I should start by asking how this has and will affect my personality? I don't feel like I did a few moments ago. How much of this is because of my evolution?" Sammy asked.

"_**It is both. For one thing, Dewotts tend to be significantly more mature than the average Oshawott. Given that evolving represents a developmental stage for a Pokemon, this is unsurprising. However, prior to your evolution, you were overcome by a strong desire to protect Marcus, overriding your previous fears of Tranchant.**_" Reshiram said. "_**As a result of these intense emotions you experienced as you evolved, these desires have become incorporated into your maturation. In that sense, your evolution was affected by the desires you had at the time.**_" Reshiram paused for a moment, seemingly lost in thought, before continuing. "_**Come to think of it, it may have been your heightened emotions that triggered the evolution itself.**_"

"But how? I thought Pokemon only evolved from battling and stuff like that?" Sammy replied. Reshiram shook her head.

"_**That is the most common method, but it is by no means universal. A Pokemon can evolve from any number of ways. Having intense experiences of fear, anger, sadness, love, or any other emotion can trigger an evolution as well, particularly if the experience is formative in some way. I believe this to be the case for your evolution, but there are still several other ways a Pokemon can evolve.**_" Reshiram clarified. Sammy nodded, signifying he understood.

"I think I get it too. Thanks for explaining this to us, Reshiram." I said. Reshiram nodded.

"_**You're very welcome. Be sure to approach me again if you need further clarification regarding this or any other matter.**_" She said. Then she began to make her way back towards Zekrom, ending the conversation.

"Well, I guess that makes sense." Sammy said, focusing his attention back toward me. "Look, Marcus. I may act a little different from now on, but I don't want that to put you off in any way. I want you to know that deep down, I'm still the same Pokemon I was before evolving." Sammy chuckled a bit. "Though, I guess I wouldn't have said something like that before, huh?"

"I guess not." I laughed. "But don't worry. I don't think I'll be nervous around you or anything. There's something about you that's pretty disarming, and I don't think that was lost in the evolution." I said. Sammy donned an expression of mock anger.

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean!?" He said, still with feigned anger. We both just laughed after that.

"Yeah, I think we'll still be fine, even with your new evolution." I said. Sammy was about to reply, when we both heard fastly approaching footsteps. Just then, a fast moving green shape flashed in front of my eyes, causing me to fall over in shock. Quickly, I picked myself up, in case we were about to deal with some sort of threat. Shortly after I recovered, I locked eyes with what had startled me. It was a green canine-like being, which was being ridden by a blonde, freckled person, though I couldn't tell their gender. I stood there, unsure how to react, when Xerneas spoke.

"_**Zygarde!?**_"

…

In the Kalosian countryside, a familiar pair were resting in the shade of a tree. They had been traveling for a few hours, and had decided to stop for a bit. In truth, the human member of the pair, a familiar Alolan, had not exerted much energy, merely riding on the back of his draconic serpentine companion, but that was besides the point. The Legendary, Giratina, perked his head up, as if sensing something. After a moment, he turned toward his human partner.

"_**The Weavile approaches.**_" He announced. His partner donned a small smile.

"How much do you want to bet he actually got Marcus or the girl?" He asked. Giratina chuckled.

"_**Not much.**_" He replied. In the distance, both of them beheld a fast moving greyish bluish spot, rapidly approaching the two. The pair simply waited as the spot came closer, eventually becoming a blurry silhouette of a Weavile, before the silhouette became the unmistakable image of Tranchant. As he came closer, it was evident he was panting from exhaustion. Giratina and TDA wondered how far he'd run, and for how long.

Eventually, Tranchant did catch up to them, nearly collapsing on the ground from exhaustion. "G-Guys… I…" Tranchant had a minor coughing fit before continuing. "Marcus beat me… I'm not sure what to do… Help me out here..." He said in between pants. TDA couldn't help but smirk slightly. It was no surprise to him that Tranchant was defeated by Marcus, especially considering he was surrounded by several Legendaries. He wondered which Legendary did him in. It obviously had to be a Legendary, right? In any case, TDA had expected him to lose. But this is what he had planned. Tranchant had succeeded in his real purpose, in that he had distracted Marcus long enough for him and Giratina to reach their next destination without Marcus and his associates following.

"_**What shall we do?**_" Giratina asked him telepathically. TDA considered his options for a moment. His next assignment for Tranchant would likely not involve any physical confrontation, but TDA wanted to be sure the Weavile was equipped to deal with any threat.

"_We should give him some more power. Better safe than sorry._**" **TDA replied back. Giratina nodded.

"_**Understood.**_" He replied. The Renegade Pokemon faced Tranchant. "_**We have elected to give you more power. To do so, I will imbue some of my essence into you. It will amplify your strength immensely. Use it well.**_" Giratina said to the Weavile. He extended a tentacle towards Tranchant's small form, who was grinning in anticipation. The red tip of the tentacle began to glow brightly as Giratina concentrated a part of his essence into it. Without a moment's hesitation, the tentacle harmlessly pierced Tranchant, the red tip fully inside him. The ghostly appendage began to surge with a glowing purple energy as the essence was transferred to the Weavile recipient. And as soon as it had started, it was done.

Giratina pulled the tentacle out of the now glowing Weavile. Tranchant took a few steps back, letting his newfound power course through him. Deciding to try it out, he unleashed an Ice Beam on a nearby tree. The beam was significantly larger than his previous ones, and froze the tree almost instantaneously. He then fired a ball of dark energy at the frozen tree, causing it to shatter into a million pieces. Tranchant beamed at his handiwork and began to laugh maniacally.

"Hahaha! Whoa, I'm really liking this! Ahahahaha!" He said, laughing. TDA and Giratina looked at each other.

"That should be more than enough, right?" TDA asked. Giratina nodded. "Good." TDA replied. He turned his attention back to the Weavile, who was still laughing like a madman. "Tranchant!" TDA yelled. The Weavile stopped laughing and looked at his Alolan-Sinnohan master.

"Yes?" He replied.

"I have another assignment for you." TDA said, smirking. And Tranchant sat and listened as TDA relayed his plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CLIFFHANGER.
> 
> We seem to have been ending on a lot of those lately. Fear not, for I shall have the next chapter up in due time.
> 
> As always, any criticism is appreciated, and you are always free to request bonus chapters (albeit subject to my approval).
> 
> Anyways, see you all next time!


	23. Mistakes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, one and all!
> 
> Sorry for the brevity of this chapter, it's somewhat of a breather for what's to come. Also I was kinda uninspired with this chapter, but I don't know why. However, I have big plans coming up as we finish the Kalos arc, and I hope to get these out as soon as possible.
> 
> Also I sincerely apologize if I misgender either Esmae or Zygarde in this chapter. For those who don't know, they're nonbinary. I've combed the chapter to try to find any incorrect pronouns, and I had a friend do the same, but I wouldn't put it past myself to have missed something.
> 
> In either case, enjoy!

The green canine and the person riding it carefully examined each of us, neither of them saying anything. Xerneas spoke up once again.

"_**Zygarde, is that you!?**_" She asked once more.

"He can't speak, you know." The human responded, stroking the canine's neck. "Heh, poor thing can't say a thing when they're in this form. So, I'll take it upon myself to speak for them, and they can hit me or whatever if I misrepresent them." The human added.

"Hey, who are you anyway?" Sarah asked.

"Name's Esmae. I'm Zygarde's human, if you couldn't tell. We've come to give you guys some backup." Esmae said. I tilted my head in confusion.

"W-Why would we need backup?" I asked.

"Zygarde sensed something approaching you guys. We thought it would be TDA or whatever his name is and came to help. With Yveltal cocooned and all, we didn't wanna risk losing Xerneas." Esmae replied. "But it seems we've beaten him to you, so that's good." They added confidently.

"_**Are you sure whatever was heading for us was TDA? We'd assumed so at first, but we recently had an encounter with one of his subordinates, a Weavile spirit named Tranchant. Could it be possible that it was him you detected?**_" Reshiram asked. Esmae seemed to consider this for a moment, before their eyes widened.

"Shit!" They exclaimed. "Zygarde! Could you check to see if that anomaly is still heading here?" Zygarde nodded, their eyes starting to glow green. After a moment, their eyes suddenly returned to normal, and Zygarde began to bark. "Woah! What's the matter?" Esmae asked. Zygarde only responded with further barks. The green dog reared back, knocking Esmae off. Zygarde then… split apart. It was more of an explosion actually, green slime flying everywhere. However, the green slime seemed to have… eyes?

"What the hell?" Sarah said in disgust. Esmae, who was getting up after Zygarde knocked them down, facepalmed.

"Damnit, I hate it when they do this." They said. Taking note of our confused faces, Esmae decided to elaborate. "Ok, so basically Zygarde is composed of a bunch of green cells. They can split apart to take on different forms. For example, their most commonly known form is when they have fifty percent of their cells, while their canine form is when they have ten percent of them. Sometimes, they decide to split apart for no reason like this. I swear, I can't understand how this thing thinks sometimes." Esmae added. Just then however, the cells began moving close to each other, forming… letters?

"_**HE'S HEADING FOR MY ORB**_" It read.

Those five words instantly caused everyone to freeze up. It wasn't until the cells quickly coalesced back into Zygarde's ten percent form that any of us sprang to action. Zygarde immediately yipped and motioned for Esmae to get on their back. Xerneas ran to her den.

"_**Absalon! We must depart at once! TDA seeks to steal mine colleague's orb! Make haste, Absalon!**_" She yelled.

"Yes, Xerneas!" Absalon yelled back. Sarah looked at Zekrom.

"Well don't just stand there, bend over so I can get on top of you!" Sarah said to him. Zekrom looked flustered for a split second but shook his head and obeyed, surprisingly without pushback.

"_**Marcus, let's go.**_" Reshiram said to me. I nodded and returned Grace to my Pokeball and motioned for Sammy to follow me. I yelled for Xerneas to get my bag, which still had Frenc in it, and Sammy and I got on top of Reshiram. Zygarde began running at top speed, with Esmae almost falling off of them. Zekrom took flight and began to follow them. Reshiram spread her wings and followed suit. As we took off, I could hear Xerneas yelling.

"_**Absalon! Make haste or else! And fetch our guests' bag while you're at it!**_"

…

On the other side of Kalos, a familiar duo stood outside of Terminus Cave, plotting an ambush. The human, an all too familiar Alolan, was looking over his notes and drawings, all neatly compiled. He'd had the plan for seizing the orbs of Kalos in mind for quite some time, seeing as it was the only region besides Kanto that had only three orbs. In truth, he would have targeted Kalos second, had Johto not been conveniently close to Kanto. But that didn't matter right now. He shot a sideways glance at his serpentine friend.

"Well, everything is going according to plan. Assuming Tranchant completes his job successfully, we should be outta here and off to Hoenn by the end of the day." TDA said.

"_**Are you sure? I wouldn't exactly call Tranchant reliable…**_" Giratina replied. His human companion smirked.

"That's why we have a contingency plan. If Tranchant is unable to carry out his task, then we can resort to that plan. It may be a little extra trouble for us, but I'm sure it won't compare to handling Zygarde. I hope anyway. If need be, we can always retreat." TDA said. Giratina chuckled.

"_**As much as I hate the prison world Arceus crafted for me, it does provide a remarkably easy method of escape. And now that you've broken the seal, I needn't worry about being trapped there.**_" Giratina agreed. TDA let out a light laugh.

"That is true." He said. The two of them spent a moment looking at the entrance of Terminus Cave, letting the tension of an upcoming battle wash over them. The Renegade Pokemon, and the human he'd sworn to help and protect, felt excitement stir in them.

"Ready to head in?"

"_**Oh yes. I'll enjoy this very, very much.**_"

…

Back at Xerneas' now deserted den, another antagonistic force was forwarding its plans. It turns out that it was none other than the tortured Weavile spirit, Tranchant. While being a spirit and his power boon both gave him increased speed and stamina, he was at the point of near collapse. Running from Xerneas' den to TDA, then back to Xerneas' den in a single day had done a number on him.

But it would be worth it if he could successfully carry out his mission. Besides having to run back to TDA once again. That part would suck, but other than that, it would be worth it. Tranchant shook his head, clearing it of such idle thoughts. He had a job to do.

It didn't take long for him to stumble upon the entrance to Xerneas' den. "Heh, looks like they left the entrance open." He muttered to himself. With no resistance to stop him, he entered the opening. Inside, he was surprised to find a rather luxurious looking living room, furnished with expensive looking couches, chairs, tables, and other things one would expect to find in a living room. The dead Weavile couldn't help but smile fondly. It brought back to him a sense of nostalgia, from before he died… Oh the lavish castle he used to inhabit! The many nights he'd spend associating with other Pokemon owned by royalty! It was so wonderful, so... so...

His brief moment of happiness quickly turned to anger, as things usually did when reminiscing about his past life. Those Legendaries… he hated them more than anything. They were supposed to look after their creations, yet they never did anything for them. And even hundreds of years after his death, it still seemed like the Legendaries hadn't changed their ways.

Tranchant yelled in anger and slashed at one of the tables with his sharp claws, splitting it clean in half. Still not satisfied, he began to do the same to the other pieces of expensive furniture. In his fit of rage, he noticed a framed picture on the wall, a framed picture of Absalon, though Tranchant didn't know this. "Who's the kid…?" He muttered. He quickly decided it didn't matter and slashed the picture, leaving three prominent scratch marks.

"Ugh, I'm getting off track!" The hate-filled Weavile yelled in frustration. He was supposed to see if there was a certain something around here. Having thoroughly trashed the living room, he decided to see what other rooms may hold.

What followed was an uneventful semi-romp through several different rooms as he tried to look for what it was TDA had sent him to get. As time passed, he began to worry that what he was looking for wasn't here after all. That is, until he stumbled upon a fancy looking wooden box.

"Oh? What's this?" He asked himself. He picked it up, noticing there was a lock on it. Not that it mattered, considering he was able to effortlessly rip the box open with pure strength. However, he was a little too forceful, causing the box's contents to fly out of it. "Shit!" He yelled, scrambling to grab what had fallen out. And that's when he noticed it. Right in front of him was a blue, glowing orb with an X on it. Tranchant grinned in pure glee.

"Those fucking idiots. Who the hell leaves a Legendary orb unattended?" He picked it up, making sure it was undamaged. "I guess that's what TDA planned for though. It's a good thing he sent me." He began to exit the den, still grinning, and somewhat dreading the large amount of running in his near future.

"Heh, well it's one step closer to a better world!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hehehehehehehehehehe, what a twiiiiiiiist!
> 
> I can't say much else. All I will say is stay tuned!


	24. Kalosian Brawl

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Greetings!
> 
> I apologize for the wait, but this chapter took a little longer to make. This was going to be combined with the next chapter, but I split it due to length. I am working on part two as we speak.
> 
> Anyways, these next few chapters are the climax of the Kalos Arc. Soon we will be in a new region with new shit going on. Don't worry, it won't just be a chase TDA around sort of thing. While there will be some of that, next arc I want to focus on character development. There's a lot I want to do with these characters that I haven't been able to yet. Remember Frenc? Me neither. I'd like to fix that.
> 
> Also I hope my dumbass gendered Zygarde correctly. Some stuff may have slipped through in editing.
> 
> See you at the bottom.

Having now entered Terminus Cave, TDA and Giratina waited outside of Zygarde's chamber, preparing for an ambush. They had met little resistance as, like the other locations they had visited pertaining to Legendaries, there was a distinct lack of wild Pokemon, not that this was an issue for the pair of renegades. TDA looked towards his partner in crime, waiting for a nod of approval. Giratina wasn't hesitant to do so.

And with that, the two ran into the chamber. They had planned on Zygarde having followed Tranchant to Xerneas, so they were mildly surprised when they found a mass of green slime coating the walls. Nevertheless, they had also considered that this might happen.

"Looks like we're fighting, Giratina." TDA warned, moving closer to the dragon. Giratina nodded his head, adopting a defensive stance. The slime began to quiver, sliding off of the wall. TDA and Giratina inched closer to each other, standing back to back, ready for whatever was about to unfold. The slime began to split off into five different mounds, one of them significantly larger than the others, each beginning to take shape. Four of the mounds quickly took the shape of a canine, while the larger mound took the shape of a large snake-like creature. Then, each shape became fully tangible, revealing them to be none other than various parts of Zygarde.

"Shit, four ten percents and one fifty. This is going to be tough." TDA said offhandedly.

"_**Indeed. Zygarde must have only sent ten percent of themself after Xerneas. A surprisingly smart move on their part.**_" Giratina said, beginning to extend his tentacles into a combat position. "_**But he will never defeat the likes of us.**_" He said defiantly. The fifty percent form eyed the two.

"_**INTERLOPER DETECTED. IDENTIFICATION: GIRATINA ORIGIN FORME. THREAT LEVEL: RED. LEAVE IMMEDIATELY OR ELSE RISK ENGAGEMENT WITH EXTREME PREJUDICE.**_" They said. Without waiting for a response, the four ten percent Zygardes charged the pair. Giratina shielded TDA, quickly striking the canine extensions of Zygarde with his tentacles. The ten percent forms were effortlessly thrown back, dissolving into green slime. Both Giratina and TDA were confused that they went down so easily, but they weren't complaining.

However, their moment of victory was short-lived, as the slime began to reassemble into four more dog-like forms, all of which immediately began to charge once more. Giratina growled in frustration and struck them again, once again reducing them to slime. And yet, a moment later, the piles of green sludge had reformed into four ten percent forms, which immediately rushed towards Giratina once more.

This process repeated a few more times. Giratina had hoped that eventually they would stop reforming, but it seemed there was no limit to how many times they could come back. Tiring of this stalemate, Giratina spoke up.

"_**I can do this all day. What do you have to gain by delaying the inevitable?**_" He demanded. The fifty percent form of Zygarde replied.

"_**AWAITING ALLIED ARRIVAL.**_" They simply said. Giratina growled. Allies? That would be troublesome. He would personally like to avoid that, if possible, so he decided he'd have to deal with the smaller forms some other way. Improvising he grabbed all of the ten percents with his tentacles, and squeezed them as hard as he could, until they had reverted to slime. He then melded the slime together into a large ball. Then, focusing all of his energy into this, he created a ball of shadow around the slime, imprisoning it. He then let the bubble float upwards toward the ceiling, where it remained. He then dematerialized the ball, preventing Zygarde from potentially popping it.

"_**I doubt they'll be getting out of that.**_" Giratina said mockingly. Zygarde's fifty percent form began to shudder, though whether it was out of fear or anger was hard to tell.

"_**STATUS REPORT: YELLOW. FORTY PERCENT OF MASS INACCESSIBLE.**_" They said in the same monotonous voice he'd been speaking in. Suddenly, the fifty percent form began to glow a bright green. "_**ACTIVATING LAND'S WRATH.**_" They said. Immediately the ground began to rumble violently. TDA knew a thing or two about Legendary signature moves and began to panic as the ground jostled him. Fortunately for him, Giratina knew what was coming, and grabbed his companion with one of his tentacles, placing him on his back. The ground's rumbling climaxed… then stopped, leaving Giratina unharmed. TDA couldn't stifle his laughter.

"Are you an idiot!? You tried to use a Ground type move on _a floating enemy_!" How the hell did you think that would hit him?" TDA said in between laughter. Zygarde's head twitched, as if trying to display some sort of emotion, though it was hard to tell which emotion. Giratina opened his mouth, and began to charge a beam of pure shadow. He fired it, and it hit Zygarde square in the face, causing them to slide back several meters. Giratina, taking advantage of this, began to close in on them with his tentacles. However, Zygarde began to glow green again.

"_**ACTIVATING THOUSAND ARROWS.**_" Zygarde said, slightly more aggressive than usual. All of a sudden, countless green beams came out of Zygarde's body, all of which hit Giratina, knocking him to the ground and causing TDA to fall off of him. Giratina roared in pain and tried to get up, but Zygarde was too fast for him.

"_**ACTIVATING THOUSAND WAVES.**_" They said, as a green wave quickly spread outwards from them. The green wave hit Giratina, who bellowed in pain once more. The wave was coming for TDA as well, who could only stare with widened eyes as it hit him, sending him flying back right onto a cave wall, instantly shattering his back. He yelled in anguish as his bones broke and he hit the ground with a thud. He tried to stand back up, but he found he couldn't move a muscle, no matter how much he tried.

"I… can't move… Giratina…! Help…!" He said weakly. Giratina's eyes lit up in rage. He quickly rose up from the ground, glaring intensely at Zygarde. He yelled in fury and charged at the Snake of Order, intent on tearing every last cell that made up their body apart. He grabbed Zygarde with his tentacles and began to dig into their body, indiscriminately tearing at anything inside, even though there was nothing but the same slimy substance that Zygarde was made of.

Zygarde, unimpeded by this, used Dragon Pulse, hitting Giratina directly in the face. He yelled in pain, pulling his shadowy appendages out of Zygarde. They used this opportunity to use Dragon Pulse once more, knocking Giratina to the ground. Before the snake could do anything else, Giratina used Shadow Force, concealing himself. Zygarde adopted a defensive stance, knowing an attack was imminent and that he couldn't avoid it.

Sure enough, mere seconds later, Giratina materialized behind Zygarde, striking him in the back and knocking him to the ground. The angered eldritch dragon wasted little time in attacking Zygarde as many times as possible. As each tentacle struck the weakened snake, Giratina felt intense euphoria fill him. He wouldn't let anyone harm TDA like that and get away with it. He continued to strike Zygarde until they couldn't fight back, only twitching every now and then. Giratina decided to quit attacking. TDA was in terrible pain after all, and he had to mend his injuries as soon as possible. He moved quickly towards his comrade, who was still on the ground, trying to get up.

"Giratina… I can't move… I think that attack broke my spine or something… I think the fucker paralyzed me…" TDA said in between breaths. Giratina picked him up with one of his tentacles, preparing to heal him.

"_**Indeed, that seems to be the case. Fear not, for Zygarde has been incapacitated for the time being. I shall heal you, then we can both take care of Zygarde once and for all.**_" Giratina reassured him. "_**This will hurt a lot. I'm sorry.**_" With that, he began to heal TDA's broken back. He screamed in agony as Giratina's healing moved his bones back in place and reconnected his nerves. The pain was beyond anything he'd ever felt. It was as though someone had sharpened a knife to the point that it could trim a baby's hair, lit the knife on fire, and was jabbing it into him with maniacal glee. All TDA could do was hold back tears and screams of pain as Giratina muttered apologies as his nerves reconnected. And as soon as it had started, the pain ceased as though it had never been there at all.

Giratina gently placed him down, allowing him to get acclimated to being able to move once more. Having no difficulties in doing so, TDA started walking toward Zygarde, gesturing for Giratina to follow him. "Piece of shit… So this is the Legendary responsible for maintaining the balance of life and death?" He asked. Zygarde didn't reply. "You are letting the wrong people die." He added.

"LEVEL OF UNDERSTANDING: 8.1644167%. _**ELABORATE.**_" Zygarde replied. TDA raised an eyebrow in annoyance.

"You and your trio could be going after those who actually deserve to die. Those who prey on the innocent, those whose sole purpose is to destroy lives, you could be could be having those people die. There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to who you let die, innocent or not."

"_**AURA TRIO DOES NOT DETERMINE WHO DIES.**_"

"Hm? So you leave it to chance then?"

"_**XERNEAS IS THE SOURCE OF LIFE, FROM WHICH ALL BEINGS SPRING FROM. YVELTAL DOES NOT CAUSE DEATH, BUT MERELY GUIDES LOST SOULS WHEN THEIR TIME ARRIVES. THIS UNIT ACTS AS A MODERATOR, BUT OTHERWISE DOES NOT INTERFERE.**_"

"But why? You three have this power over who lives and dies, but you don't use it? You could be killing all the pieces of shit in the world and make sure no one has to suffer because of them! Isn't it a god's job to look after their creations!?" TDA yelled. Zygarde didn't say anything for a moment.

"_**RESULTS IN COMPLACENCY.**_" They simply said.

"I… what?" The confused human could only reply. Zygarde looked as if they were about to respond, but the sounds of rushing footsteps interrupted them. All three beings in the room snapped their attention towards this noise to find a rather large gathering, composed of both humans and Pokemon, some of which TDA was immediately able to recognize.

In the crowd he could identify Reshiram, Marcus and his Pokemon, that girl that accompanied them back in Johto, her Servine, and Zekrom. He could also see Xerneas, a human he presumed was hers, and a ten percent form of Zygarde as well as another human that presumably was theirs. TDA donned a defiant expression.

"Fine then. I was hoping we'd have a little more time, but this disgusting slime serpent distracted us." Giratina moved behind his human partner, ready to protect him. "We'll deal with you ourselves and take the orbs!"

…

It had taken a while to arrive at Terminus Cave, given the distance, Sarah and I had to fly on the backs of our dragons while Xerneas and Zygarde ran at top speed. Needless to say, I threw up several times on the way. Who could blame me? We were flying at top speed… I didn't even know Legendaries could go that fast... I'm just glad we were mainly flying over natural areas with little to no human life. If we had been flying over some city, I'd feel bad for whoever had to deal with my projectile vomit.

But I'm getting off topic. The important thing was that we had caught up to TDA, seemingly before he had the chance to steal Zygarde's orb. This was perfect. We had the chance to end him right here and prevent him from harming anyone else. Our last encounter didn't go so well, but surely the strength of Reshiram, Zekrom, Xerneas, and Zygarde would be enough… right?

I had no time to mull over such thoughts though. TDA was clearly intent on getting this over with, as Giratina immediately moved in to attack. He started by firing a ball of shadow at Reshiram, which made direct contact, causing my dragon partner to stumble. Zekrom immediately jumped in to protect her, using Dragon Claw on Giratina. Giratina growled and began to engage Zekrom in close combat, attempting to pierce him with his shadowy tentacles. Meanwhile, Xerneas targeted TDA, charging up a Moonblast. Giratina seemed to notice this, and used one of his tentacles to grab Xerneas by the neck, before tossing her into a cave wall.

Zygarde's ten percent form took advantage of this distraction and ran towards their fifty percent form, right past Giratina. Giratina, still locked in combat with Zekrom, was struck with Fusion Flare by an angered Reshiram. Sammy assisted her by using Razor Shell. These attacks weren't particularly effective on Giratina due to his type advantage, but combined they managed to distract him. Just enough for Zygarde to tackle Giratina. The attack didn't do much but it caused Giratina to become dazed. Near the ceiling, a bubble seemed to materialize.

Giratina must have been using a part of his concentration to keep the bubble dematerialized. The bubble exploded, and a bunch of what looked like Zygarde's cells fell to the floor. Both of their active forms approached the puddle of cells as fast as possible. The ten percent form jumped into the puddle, disintegrating into its constituent cells and melding with the slimy mess. The fifty percent form began to glow a bright green as the cells approached them. Then, both the cells and Zygarde flashed a brilliant green light, blinding my vision.

When the glow subsided and I could see again, I saw that Zygarde had become… much bigger. They were almost unrecognizable, no longer resembling a snake or canine, but rather a large humanoid being, somewhat resembling a Golurk back from Unova. The only sign that this being was in fact Zygarde was the coloration of the body. They had ribbon-like appendages coming out of its shoulders, two of them with blue stripes and the other two with red. They still had a tail, though it was much bigger. Overall, Zygarde was absolutely humongous, easily dwarfing any human several times. Something about their shape was familiar though…

Then it hit me. In ancient legends, Zygarde is said to possess an extremely powerful form, a form they only use when balance is greatly disrupted. When fused with all of their cells, Zygarde becomes its Complete Forme, a towering monstrosity whose sole purpose is to restore balance.

This transformation had not gone unnoticed by everyone else, as they all had their eyes locked on Zygarde. Giratina immediately dropped his battle with Zekrom and darted for the Order Pokemon, intent on dispatching them before they became too much trouble. He struck Zygarde and… nothing happened. Zygarde barely even moved. Giratina struck them again, and the same thing happened… barely any sign of damage on the towering giant. The Renegade Pokemon moved in for a third attack, but Zygarde punched him square in the face, sending him back into a wall. They then seemed to focus intently before uterring three words in a deep, robotic voice.

"_**ACTIVATING CORE ENFORCER.**_"

Zygarde began to glow a brilliant green and seemed to… levitate off the ground? There was no mistaking it, they were floating off the ground. The green glow began to coalesce towards the center of their body, before firing as a laser aimed straight at Giratina. It made direct contact, pinning the Renegade Pokemon to the ground. Zygarde moved the laser around, making the shape of a capital Z.

With Giratina distracted, Reshiram and Zekrom converged on TDA, intent on tearing him to shreds. Giratina however, was not going to have this, and used a stray tentacle to throw him to safety, using the other five appendages to attempt to shield himself from the blast of Core Enforcer, to little effect.

Eventually, the laser stopped as Zygarde seemingly ran out of energy. Giratina used Shadow Force, disappearing and reappearing behind the Order Pokemon, striking them in the back. Once again, Zygarde barely moved a centimeter, but they let out a grunt of pain. WIth Giratina focused on Zygarde and TDA struggling to get his bearings motioned for Absalon to come to her.

"_**Absalon! Rally to me post haste! We must assist mine friend!**_" She yelled. Absalon quickly ran to her. Xerneas lowered herself, allowing her partner to climb atop her back. "_**Watch for threats! Alert me to any attacks that may blindside us!**_" She added. Without another word, Xerneas charged for Giratina, charging up a Moonblast.

She launched the attack, catching Giratina off guard and overwhelming him due to the type effectiveness. The serpentine dragon diverted his attention to focus on Xerneas. He fired a ball of shadow at her, making direct contact and knocking Absalon off, who scrambled to get away. He followed up with multiple tentacle strikes, hitting Xerneas repeatedly. She used Moonblast once more, managing to escape Giratina's attacks. She used Geomancy, sharply increasing her power and resilience. She then cast Misty Terrain, filling the room with a pink aura and increasing the power of her Fairy Type moves. With all this empowerment, she used Moonblast, hitting her opponent square in the face. Giratina didn't stand a chance against such a powerful attack, the type effectiveness certainly not helping matters. He was instantly knocked to the floor where he lay, motionless. For a moment, I thought we'd won, but those hopes were dashed when I saw Giratina begin to stir. Evidently, he still had some fight in him.

He used Steel Wing, the type effectiveness and power causing Xerneas to get knocked back. Before she could react, he used Shadow Force, disappearing and reappearing behind her before striking her in the back. She fell to the ground and didn't get back up.

With Xerneas dealt with, Giratina put all of his might into attacking Zygarde, striking them repeatedly with his tentacles. Zygarde began to flinch more with each strike, until they began to emit a sort of robotic screech. They retaliated, punching Giratina square in the face. He fired back with a ball of shadow, causing the Order Pokemon to stumble. Zygarde used Core Enforcer, but Giratina dodged it, retaliating with Shadow Force. This continued for a while, the two exchanging blows that didn't seem to affect each other much. However, Zygarde began to move slower. Were they tiring themselves? It appeared to be the case, and Giratina seemed to realize this, putting more effort into his attacks. Zygarde knelt down, too tired to continue fighting. The Renegade Pokemon seized the opportunity and used Shadow Force, striking Zygarde as hard as he could.

Zygarde exploded, their constituent cells splatting against the walls and floor. Additionally, a dark green sphere fell to the ground, evidently having been inside Zygarde. TDA rushed to grab it, and it dawned on me.

"That's the orb!" I yelled. Reshiram and Zekrom immediately went after TDA, but Giratina shielded him as usual. I was about to send Sammy and Grace after him, when a familiar laugh echoed behind me.

Even before I saw his sharp toothed grin and dead pupilless eyes, I knew who it was. Tranchant had once again shown himself, for the third time in the span of a few days. He was holding something too, a blue sphere… oh no.

"_Bonjour_, Marcus, black haired girl, and assorted divine pieces of _merde_! Would any of you happen to know where TDA is? Fucker said he'd be here." The Weavile spirit said quite casually, as if we were friends. No one said anything, but it didn't matter, as Tranchant had already spotted who he was looking for. "Ah, there he is! Hey! J'ai cherché le chose you wanted me to get… I think anyway!" He said.

"Hurry up and get over here! You're right near the enemy!" TDA yelled, still behind Giratina, who was battling Reshiram and Zekrom. I yelled for Sammy and Grace to attack Tranchant, but he had already dashed past us, too fast for us to react. Within a few seconds he was at TDA, handing him what I knew to be Xerneas's orb.

"Thank you, Tranchant. You've been a great help." He said to the Weavile, before shifting his attention to the rest of us. "All of you really are idiots. I expected that the Legendaries would at least have an ounce of cleverness, but it seems not. Now, I'm going to explain to you just how you fucked up." TDA grinned, and Reshiram, Zekrom, and Giratina had ceased fighting.

"I had Tranchant distract you this whole time, and you didn't even realize it. We used him to see which Legendary you would try to protect first, then sent him to battle you. While you dealt with him, Giratina and I took Yyveltal's orb. The second time he went after you, we started making our way here to Terminus Cave. We had betted on either Xerneas or Zygarde figuring something was up and all of you rushing here. While all of you scrambled to come here, we had Tranchant check up on Xerneas' den, just in case you left the orb unattended, and it looks like you did. It wouldn't have mattered either way. Had you taken it, we could have just beaten it out of you here. But now we have all three of Kalos' orbs. We have no reason to stay." TDA said. He looked at Giratina. "Let's get out of here." Giratina nodded, beginning to create a portal. He looked towards Tranchant. "Kill them all. I don't want these dogs following us anymore. Do that, and we will grant you your freedom. Use Giratina's power boost well." He added.

Giratina and TDA escaped through the portal, which closed after they entered it, leaving only Tranchant and the crushing realization that we had lost again. But… I couldn't think about that right now. Tranchant was here, and I could finally settle things with him. I'd made a vow to catch him and show him to Arceus. If I could do one thing right in this mission, I wanted it to be this.

"Well, Marcus! How about we end this once and for all?" Tranchant said, adopting a battle stance. I nodded.

"We won't lose!" I yelled. The dead Weavile chuckled.

"Wonderful! With you gone I will suffer no more!"

Then, a wall of ice formed around us, reaching up to the ceiling. Only myself, Sammy, Grace, Sarah, and Snek were inside the wall, the other Legendaries trapped outside.

"En garde, Marcus!" Tranchant yelled. And with that, we prepared for battle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eh, I don't think I'm that great at battle scenes. I hope this was enjoyable nonetheless.
> 
> Next chapter will have some important stuff besides battling, so look forward to that. Hopefully it won't take another month to come out.
> 
> Anyways, I hope you continue to enjoy this story!


	25. A Broken Spirit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> O shit took two months to write this...
> 
> I also took a bit of a break so that explains stuff too.
> 
> Anyways, this chapter is very important to me. I want this to represent a turning point in the story, and I hope you guys like this chapter.
> 
> The next chapter will be the final chapter of the Kalos Arc. It should take considerably less time.
> 
> Note: This chapter has political content.

The Legendaries stuck outside had tried breaking the wall of ice that enclosed myself, Sarah, and our Pokemon in with Tranchant, but to no avail. The wall didn't even sustain a crack. The Weavile laughed at their fruitless attempts.

"I've been given quite the boon in power from my bon ami Giratina! I think you'll find that wall quite unbreakable. I have no business with you Legendaries anyway. That's for TDA to take care of. I just want to killMarcus and that Dewott. And, why not go after the girl, the Gardevior, and the Servine too?" Tranchant said.

I was okay with this. I shouldn't have been, but I was. I had no intention of killing Tranchant… again. I wanted to help him. No matter how bad someone is, they do not deserve eternal punishment for their actions. I didn't care what Tranchant did to put him in the Wall, I was going to save him. But first, it looked like we'd have to subdue him.

Sammy grabbed his scalchops, ready to protect me. Grace began to charge a Moonblast, while Snek used Growth. Considering that he had a huge weakness to Ice moves, he would need any boost in strength he could get to compensate. Tranchant dashed forward, targeting Grace first, likely because she was the only Pokemon who had a type advantage. He used Icicle Crash, which made direct contact. Grace managed to shake it off and used her charged up Moonblast. It hit Tranchant, sending him flying back. He managed to get up quickly, powering through the pain.

Sammy ran toward him and used Razor Shell. The dead Weavile yelled in pain as he was cut across the face. Tranchant swiped at him, intent on cutting his throat, but Sammy was able to move out of the way, countering with Water Pulse.

"Give it up, Dewott!" The Sharp Claw Pokemon said. He swiped again, managing to slash Sammy across the chest. "I'll never understand why any of you think you have anything to gain from this!"

Grace used Moonblast again, but Tranchant dodged it, countering with Ice Beam. She was hit, knocking her back somewhat. She quickly recovered though, and used Dazzling Gleam, which made direct contact. The Weavile spirit yipped in pain as he was sent flying back, hitting the ground with a loud thud.

"Tranchant! We don't need to fight!" I yelled. The Weavile picked himself up and scoffed.

"Oh really? You're pulling that card? What do you expect me to do anyway?" He said, mockingly. He used Icicle Crash once more, aiming at Snek. The Servine noticed and quickly slithered out of the way, retaliating with Mega Drain. The attack didn't seem to do much, as Tranchant seemed to shrug it off rather quickly. I didn't know how to respond to Tranchant, so I tried to make him question himself.

"What are you even going to do if you kill me? Will it really make you happy?" I asked him. He laughed once more.

"Of course it will! Is that even a question? If I kill you, I will be free of all the suffering Arceus has caused me! I mean, come on. How many times have I already told you this?" Sammy tried to attack the Weavile with Razor Shell, but he managed to avoid it. "What will I do when I kill you? Well, I'll hope that TDA and Giratina's little revolution goes well for one thing. I'm on board with their vision for a new world, to say the least. It aligns well with my own philosophy. But you wouldn't understand, would you?" He continued. Well, that didn't work. Tranchant was obviously entirely sure of himself.

He used Night Slash, hitting Sammy. Grace backed him up, using Moonblast once again. It hit, and Tranchant yelped as he was struck with the move. His eyes lit up in rage and he tackled Grace, swiping furiously at her with his claws. I ran towards him, kicking him off of Grace. He grabbed onto my leg and began to gnaw at it. I yelled in pain and began to frantically flail my leg in an effort to throw him off. Sammy rushed to my aid and used Water Gun, blasting him off my leg, leaving several bleeding bite marks.

Tranchant flew a few metres, hitting the ground with another thud, something he seemed to have a habit of doing. He got up, looking at us with intense and burning anger. "Fine then… I'm done playing around…" The dead Weavile's claws began to emit an icy glow. Without a moment's notice, he slammed his claws into the ground, and the ground began to shake. Then, giant ice spikes began to erupt from the ground, each spike erupting closer than the last. Though my leg still hurt, I ran away as fast as I could, ignoring the pain. My Pokemon followed suit, but I lost track of Sarah.

I panicked for a moment, but it was then that I heard Tranchant yelp in pain once again. I looked behind me to find the Weavile spirit face down on the floor, with Sarah standing nearby, a rather pissed look on her face. She must have attacked him while he was focused on us. The spikes stopped appearing without Tranchant to create them. Sarah glared at the Weavile, who was still on the ground, and spat on him. This seemed to trigger something in the Sharp Claw Pokemon, as he quickly stood up, eyes burning with hatred. He charged straight at Snek, who had no time to react, with an Icicle Crash. It hit, and Snek was instantly knocked out, the attack too strong for him to withstand.

"Snek!" Sarah yelled, rushing to assist her companion. Tranchant took advantage of this and jumped on top of her, clawing furiously at her back. Sammy intervened, deciding to use Razor Shell and knocking the Weavile off of Sarah. Tranchant focused his attention on Sammy and began to duel with him. Using this opportunity, I ran to Sarah to help her.

"Are you okay?" I asked. I grabbed her hand and helped her up.

"Oh, I'm fine… Aside from my bleeding back, that is." She replied deadpan. I didn't know how to respond to that. She continued on anyway. "Is Snek okay?" She asked. I moved to where Snek lay. He was still breathing, but was unconscious. He was also terribly cold.

"He's fine. Just fainted and really cold." I said. Sarah ambled over toward me and knelt down beside her Servine.

"Well, I'd expect him to be cold given the attack that hit him. I'm sure he'll be fine, but I'll watch over him and make sure that Weavile bastard doesn't try to attack him. Besides, there's not much I can do in this fight. Please take care of him, and don't die." She said. I nodded and turned my attention back to the battle.

Sammy was still battling with Tranchant, the two locked in close combat. Grace was using various support moves to give Sammy an edge. Getting frustrated, the Weavile spirit charged up some sort of powerful dark attack, though I couldn't tell what it was. Suddenly, he unleashed a wave of darkness at us, spanning all directions. It hit Grace, Sammy, and I, knocking us back a few meters. Taking advantage of our susceptible state, Tranchant ran toward Grace and hit her with Night Slash. She was sent flying and hit the ground hard. The Weavile spirit kicked her while she was down with Night Slash.

Grace was knocked out, the strength of the attack being too much for her to bear. With her out of the way, the Sharp Claw Pokemon turned his attention back toward Sammy, the only Pokemon left to oppose him. They charged each other, ready to duel.

They clashed, shell on claw, each trying to find a way to bypass the other's defenses. The two moved quickly, not allowing the other to find an opening. However, I noticed that Sammy was starting to show signs of fatigue. Having carried a lot of the fight on his shoulders, I could see why. He was going to lose if I didn't do something.

Without thinking, I rushed towards Tranchant and, for what seemed like the millionth time, kicked him in the side of his stomach. All at once, the wind was knocked out of him, and he doubled down on the ground, coughing. Sammy took this opportunity to strike him with all of his might.

The force of the attack did Tranchant in. The wounds he had suffered in the fight had left him unable to continue on. He lay on the ground, breathing heavily. Sammy held his shell in front of the dead Weavile, ready to strike once more if he tried anything.

"How could I... let this happen again?" He said in between heavy breaths. Sammy didn't respond, continuing to stand firm. Tranchant laughed. "So I guess you're going to send me back to the Wall then?" He asked. Underneath his confidence, I could sense great fear.

"No." I replied. Tranchant donned a confused expression. Before he could reply, I continued. "I want you to stand up and tell us your story. Why were you put in the Wall?" Tranchant didn't reply at first, instead focusing on standing up, which he did with great difficulty. It was a few more moments before he responded.

"You _chien de_ Arceus… Fine. If it will make you shut up, I will tell you my life's story, and why I despise Arceus so."

With that, I sat on the ground and listened intently.

…

It must have been at least two hundred and forty years ago, back when I was still alive. I was the Pokemon of a Kalosian noble with close ties to the royal family. As such, none of my wants or desires were ever unfulfilled. It was a perfect life, free of unhappiness. But I would soon find out that my life was built upon some of the greatest suffering in the history of our world.

I'll start at the beginning. One fateful day, my owner was dealing with some business in Lumiose City, or rather what the city was back then. He left me in our chariot, and told me to stay put.

However, I was never much of a good listener. I decided to look around whilst my master was doing whatever it was he was here for. I wandered for a bit, finding nothing interesting. I was about to head back, when I heard something faint amongst the bustle of the city… crying. I traced the sound to a nearby alleyway, where I happened upon a weeping Zoroark. Against my better judgement, I left the relative safety of the main city streets and entered the alleyway, approaching the Zoroark.

"What's wrong?" I asked them, tapping their shoulder. They flinched when I touched them, quickly raising their head, their tear filled eyes focused on me. Almost immediately, their eyes darted to the rather lavish jewelry my master liked to adorn me with, and their expression quickly turned to disdain and hatred. They grabbed me by the neck before I had a moment to even register what was even happening.

"You dirty pig…" He spat at me. I struggled, trying to break free. "You're a noble's Pokemon, aren't you?" He asked, shaking me around violently. I couldn't respond, as I was only able to gasp for air. "I know you are… Your disgustingly pretentious jewelry tells me everything." He loosened his grip slightly. "I wonder what reason you had to try and comfort me. As if you leeches care about us. I should kill you right now!" He yelled. I was still trying to break free of his grasp. His eyes suddenly widened in what seemed to be realization and a grin spread across his face. :I have a better idea. Maybe the boys back home will have an idea of what to do with you…" I didn't comprehend a word of what he was saying, but I didn't have much choice in the matter. He ran off with me in tow towards a grate.

To my surprise, he opened it and carried me inside, closing the grate behind him. Inside, I found that we were in the Lumiose Catacombs. From what I knew, it was a mass grave where the citizens of Lumiose were laid to rest. Skulls and bones lined the walls, inciting in me a mixture of disgust and fear. I had no idea why we were in here, and my confusion only grew as the Zoroark closed in on his destination. After several more minutes, we had arrived at a wooden door.

Behind it, I was met with what looked to be some sort of makeshift shelter, populated with many humans and Pokemon. The Zoroark threw me into the room unceremoniously.

"Found a noble's Pokemon. What do you guys want to do with him?" He said, closing the door behind him and leaning against it. A nearby Alakazam appeared to telepathically communicate to the humans what the Zoroark said. No one did anything for a moment, but instead just stared at me. Eventually, a Lucario wearing a long, tattered, black coat walked toward me.

"Are you really a noble's Pokemon?" He asked. His voice was gravelly and tough, and it only made him more intimidating. I knew there was no point in lying. Even if I was roughed up a bit, I still bore the unmistakable image of a Pokemon who had led a pampered life.

"Y-Yes." I stammered, quite afraid. The Lucario chuckled and reached out a hand to help me up. I was confused by this turn of events. "W-What?" I asked, taking his hand.

"You needn't be alarmed. I have no intent of harming you, not yet anyway. Allow me to explain your situation." The Lucario started. I kept silent as he continued. "I've seen your type before, you know. I'd wager that you've barely seen the world outside of whatever estate you and your owner live on." He was right. Whenever I did go outside, it was on official business and I never got to see much of the cities or towns we visited, aside from the times I decided to sneak away. The Lucario continued on.

"Your owner has likely offhandedly referred to 'commoners' in a rather derogatory fashion. No doubt he would call us filthy or refer to us as animals. Even if he's never done so, I'm sure he still holds a rather negative view of them. At best, he would be indifferent. Well, to put it bluntly, we are the commoners, those who society has neglected." He looked toward me as if expecting some sort of response. When I didn't say anything, he shrugged and continued.

"In the governmental sphere, there's something called the Social Contract. In short, it basically states that the government must see to the needs of its people. In return, the people are loyal to the government. However, if the government fails to see to the needs of their people, then the people have a necessity to rebel. You nobles certainly are being treated well, but us common folk?" The Lucario's fists clenched and his voice became angrier.

"We languish in the streets, barely managing to survive. Our people are wracked with disease, hunger, and suffering. And yet, the ruling class does nothing to help us. Nay, they laugh at us and look upon our situation with scorn. Some go as far as to say we _deserve_ to be in this situation, that Arceus despises us." His fists began to glow with a faint aura. "Imagine that, huh? Feeling as though the entire world, even Arceus, despises you for something you can't control? Most of us are born into this after all." He took a deep breath and seemed to settle down, the aura fading.

"I digress. What I mean to say is, we have determined that the government has not properly cared for us, but has rather systematically and intentionally oppressed us. Therefore, we intend to overthrow it and replace it with a new one, one where all are equal. A society where we can alleviate as much suffering as possible, and guide both human and Pokemon to a brighter future." I couldn't respond. It was so much to take in. They were planning a revolution? I couldn't process much before the Lucario spoke again.

"You are rather fortunate that I was able to intervene, otherwise my companions would have ripped you to shreds. In truth, I am the partner of a very influential human plotting this revolution. He's responsible for our operations in Lumiose City, and he carries with him a special kind of philosophy. He believes that even nobles can be turned to our side, and they should be welcomed with open arms, should they cast aside their nobility. So now, I offer you a choice. Will you stay with us and learn more about how this society has oppressed us so that you may fight with us when the time comes, or will you cling to your status?" The Lucario said. I carefully weighed the options presented to me. If I were to accept, my noble life would vanish and I would be apart of this revolution. If I refused, I would probably be killed… Would I really be so petty as to cling to my position in the face of death? Besides, might these rebels have a point? If I died now, I would never fully understand what was at play here. I knew what I had to do.

"I will join you." I said. The Lucario chuckled.

"Wonderful. I'm glad you've chosen the correct path. I promise you won't regret this choice." He said. He took my hand and began to walk toward another door. "Allow me to show you to your quarters." He said, opening the door. "I apologize for my rudeness. I'm Jacques. You interest me profoundly, Weavile. Most nobles they bring in, human or Pokemon, would rather die than renounce their status. But you're different. Tell me, what is your name?" Jacques asked.

"I'm Tranchant…" I said meekly. I was still a little on edge.

"Nice to meet you, Tranchant. I'm glad to make your acquaintance. I hope that in your time here, we can become very close." Jacques said. I simply nodded as we neared another door. Jacques opened it to reveal a room with several bunk beds, some of which were occupied.

"Hey, friends! We've got a new recruit… Oh! I forgot to remove his jewelry. He's a former noble's Pokemon, you see." He announced to the room. Most simply nodded and went back to what they were doing. Jacques led me inside. "I apologize that it isn't much. We don't really have access to the best living spaces." He said, showing me to a dirty bed. "Your instruction will begin tomorrow. I normally don't lecture newbies, but you… interest me. My friends are also rather critical of former nobles, so if any one else were to instruct you, they may treat you harshly. I'll try to find time to teach you each day. Absorb the information well. It's crucial to everything we stand for." The Lucario said. He patted me on the back and left the room, leaving me to my own devices.

Over the next few days, Jacques took two hours out of his schedule each day to inform me of why exactly they were planning a revolution. I learned much of how the common people were oppressed by the small ruling class I once belonged to. Before, I had joined out of survival instinct, but the more Jacques told me… the more I began to understand.

I learned of how the commoners lived in abhorrent positions, essentially existing only to produce stuff for the ruling class. In return, they received nothing other than scorn and disdain and bare bones living conditions. Not that they had a choice in the matter to begin with. Their lives meant nothing to the ruling class. Many regularly died on the job, or passed away due to illness with no means of treatment. The ones that lived suffered immensely, racked with starvation, malnutrition, deformities, and crime. And the nobles lived without even batting an eye to this suffering.

But that wasn't even the worst of it. There existed a singular entity that kept Kalos, nay the world, in a chokehold, controlling everything. It was none other than the Church of Arceus. What a corrupt institution that thing was. They were valued above all else, even by the nobles and royal family, and the commoners placed them at the forefront of their life. In fact, it was due to the Church that the commoners had not rebelled sooner.

The Church kept them apathetic toward their situation with their lies. They said that the commoners were in their position because Arceus wanted them to be, that an individual's wealth and status were decided by Arceus himself. But, the Church had an opportunity for those that Arceus had dealt a bad hand. If they dedicated their entire lives to Arceus, they said, then Arceus would bless them in the afterlife. Hell, one could even improve their chances if they donated money! So, the commoners were kept in check with their devotion to Arceus, leading them to ignore the problems that existed around them, and the corruption running rampant through society. Meanwhile, the Church accrued money and used it to gain a foothold in every regional government on the planet.

In the higher echelons of the Church, atrocities ran rampant. Pedophilia and rape were not uncommon and swept under the rug by the higher ups. The money the commoners donated often went into the personal pockets of the priests and the nobles often bribed the Church for whatever reason they had. This is barely even scratching the surface, so I'll spare you the details. Essentially, the Church was responsible for keeping the commoners in apathy, and so Jacques and his associates had decided it must be eliminated, at least in Kalos.

Jacques and his trainer were former members of the Church, before being excommunicated once Jacques' trainer began to speak out against the Church's corruption. They languished in the streets for years after that, before they were introduced to the revolution, quickly rising to become prominent leaders thanks to their knowledge of the Church and connected nobility.

After I had finished my education, I was allowed to participate in active duty. It was nothing much at first, just some basic scouting, but I was soon able to participate in active sabotage against noble activities, such as raiding lone carriages in the dead of night. Over time, Jacques had grown to appreciate me more, till I eventually rose straight past second in command to being his equal, coleading our branch of the revolution. Well, the Pokemon in that branch at least.

We made a grand plan to kick off the revolution. Once we had recruited enough people, each branch of the revolution would rise up in their respective cities, inciting rage and discontent among the populace and attacking the nobility. In doing so, the hope was we could get the unrecruited commoners to join us in the attack. While this was happening, Jacques, myself, and a few other members would attack the Kalosian branch of the Church, which was located in Lumiose. We would demolish it and kill every member of the Church that refused to defect. Meanwhile, the other members in Lumiose and the other cities would kill the nobility and royal family, hopefully with the help of the other commoners. From there, we would take control of Kalos and build a more egalitarian society and defend against other regions attempting to avenge the fallen nobility.

And so the day came. We had amassed thousands of members in the Lumiose branch alone. Across the entire revolution, we must have had a million or more humans and Pokemon ready to give the kingdom back to its people. The leaders of the respective branches had coordinated a specific date and time to rise in the cities. We had ample weaponry for the humans, courtesy of our thievery, and we had more than enough manpower. The tables were set and we were going to destroy the nobility or die trying.

And at the designated time, the commoners of Kalos erupted into righteous fury.

We stormed our cities, inciting discord among our fellow commoners and allowing them to join in. Apathetic as they may have been before, they must have known subconsciously that things weren't right. Jacques had told me that humans and Pokemon weren't meant to be held in bondage, so maybe there was some sort of instinctual thing? I didn't know.

In either case, things quickly devolved for the city. Buildings were burning, property was being destroyed, and the royal guard had been sent to deal with us. Fighting had broken out between us and the soldiers, but they proved no match against our collective wrath. Heh, some of us got a little carried away and mauled them beyond recognition. Once the soldiers had been dealt with, we stormed the houses of the nobility and pulled them out into the city square, where we were going to test out a new method of execution.

Someone in Kalos had invented a device designed to deliver a relatively swift and painless death to those who were to be executed. It was called _la guillotine_. I'm sure you've heard of it, Marcus. We decided to use this to execute the nobility. It was surprisingly effective, given that the machine operated quickly, and there was little mess to clean up afterwards, making it easy to quickly move the next noble up… Jacques gave me the honors of beheading my former master. I did so with immense pleasure.

We had most of the newly recruited commoners work on that while another group stormed the castle to grab the royal family. Once again, they were completely overwhelmed and we dragged them out and cut their disgusting heads off as well.

Kalos now had no leader… but there was still the matter of the Church. According to plan, Jacques, myself, and a few more experienced members stormed the Church, the last stronghold in Lumiose. Things went well at first. We tore through the royal guard members stationed there and began to burn everything inside. But, I was blindsided by a soldier's Arcanine. It came up from behind me while I was distracted covering Jacques from some particularly tenacious soldiers. It sank its teeth deep into my neck and threw me towards a nearby wall, tearing a chunk of my flesh out in the process.

"Tranchant!" Jacques yelled. He quickly ran over to me while the others covered him from enemy attacks. "Tranchant! Are you okay?" I was tempted to retort with something along the lines of "What does it look like!?", but I decided against it. I instead weakly shook my head. Jacques' face quickly turned to one of anger as he focused his attention back onto our assailants. In an instant, he charged up a powerful aura attack, larger than I'd ever seen him make before, and launched it at our enemies.

The attack was devastating. By the time the smoke cleared, I could see that the Church's wall had been blown out and our attackers were reduced to ash. I was impressed. I had no idea a Lucario could do something so powerful. But the hole in the wall had greatly damaged the stability of the building. Jacques could barely turn his attention back to me before the building had begun to collapse.

I told him to go on without me, that my wound was too grave to be treated and that helping me out of the building would only risk Jacques getting killed too. He hesitated at first, but reluctantly agreed when it became clear the roof was about to fall. His last words to me were that he'd see to it that I was honored in some way.

Soon after, I was crushed under the collapsing building, hoping that Jacques and his companions would finish what we started. It was an odd life I led. I went from a pampered noble's pet to a high ranking member of a revolution that sought to rid Kalos of the very class I was a part of. I died content with my decisions.

But Arceus had other ideas.

My next conscious feeling was nothing but pure pain. From what I could tell, I lost all of my senses, except for the feeling of pain, which was exponentially higher than any pain I'd ever felt in life. I couldn't even scream, because I had no body anymore. I was just a soul writhing in agony in a wall of thousands, perhaps millions, of other souls, and I just knew that Jacques was in there too. There I suffered, for hundreds of years, before Giratina let me out. By that time, I'd gone basically insane.

I was told I could be free if I killed you… how could I pass up that opportunity? I'd do anything to never feel that pain again. I'd kill a million to free myself, and I'm sure anyone else in that Wall would have too. Even Jacques.

…

"And there you have it. After that, I ended up in Lumiose City, partially to track you down, but also to see what had become of Kalos since we died. From the information I had gathered, it seemed our revolution was a success. Jacques, his trainer, and their associates had lived to spearhead the movement and create a new society. Until the day they died, they were revered and the egalitarian society we wished to create seemed to be progressing nicely. However, after their deaths, the population was left without a strong guiding hand. With that, the remnants of the old hierarchical system were able to reestablish themselves, and everything we fought for became for nothing." Tranchant said. He did a gesture with his hands outward.

"Now we have the current Kalosian society, a capitalistic society with just the same amount of oppression, just more hidden. Most of the population doesn't even realize anything is wrong. Jacques and our rebellion have been condemned in the history books, seen as savage and insane. And the Church? It may be less prominent, but Arceus is still widespread. All that fighting… All that pain… It was all for nothing!" Tranchant clenched his fists and began to shake.

"Tranchant…" I said softly. He donned an expression of rage and stared at me hatefully.

"Don't you see! This is why we need TDA! He's the strong, guiding hand the world needs! We accomplished many things, but we were only mortal! If TDA can win this, then he can become an immortal deity and guide this world to proper development alongside Giratina!" He yelled.

"Tranchant…"

"Why!? Why do you serve Arceus!? Knowing what he did to me, what he's done to Jacques!? What he has and will continue to do to countless people and Pokemon!? You're just going to let this continue!?" He continued yelling.

"Tranchant."

"I'll tell you this, Marcus. You're just a tool! Just a useless puppet th-"

"Tranchant, I agree with you!" I yelled. Tranchant immediately shut up, his expression quickly turning to surprise.

"...What?" He asked softly.

"I agree with you! I'm on your side! What more do you want me to say!?"

"I… Are you lying to me?" He asked. This only served to add to my frustration.

"No! After our last battle I _specifically_ made it my goal to save you! Why do you think I even bothered talking to you while we were fighting earlier? And hearing about your past life has only made me _more_ convinced!" I retorted. Tranchant didn't respond for a moment, trying to find the right words. He was genuinely surprised that I was agreeing with him.

"But… What are you going to do to me? And what about Arceus? Aren't you fighting TDA to preserve Arceus' order?" He asked.

"I'm not so sure about Arceus anymore. Your story has helped me to see that there's something more here. I want you to join us and help us get to the bottom of this." I said calmly. Tranchant laughed.

"And what are you going to do about TDA, huh? He's still an issue, isn't he?" He asked. I shook my head.

"We will continue to fight TDA, but not for Arceus' sake. I want to get a clear understanding of what's going on before I choose a side, if any. But I know for certain that Arceus has crimes to answer for. You are proof enough of that." I stretched out my hand. "So, will you join us? Will you help us decide which direction is best for this world?" I asked. Tranchant didn't say anything for a moment, but soon began to chuckle ruefully.

"I… Only if you promise you aren't fucking with me…" I had to admit, I was somewhat taken aback. Part of me expected him to reject the proposal.

"I promise." I said with conviction.

"If you aren't lying to me… Then the world needs more people like you, Marcus. You don't blindly obey what you've been told. You question things that most others wouldn't even think twice about. I thought you were just some dog of Arceus… but this new side of you has changed my opinion. I just hope this new side is genuine." Tranchant looked at the ground. "Besides… That was the same quality that Jacques had. You aren't quite like him, but… it's a good thing to have." He added. He gestured at himself. "Giratina and TDA will probably catch on that I'm not helping them anymore and cut off my power, so I'll be just an ordinary Weavile, with some ghosty things I can do. Don't worry though. I learned some pretty decent combat during the Revolution." He added.

"I'll be counting on your help." I said. Tranchant stared intently on me, still unsure but willing to help. He would be slow to gain the trust of, but I would do everything in my power to help him on this path.

"I believe we still have something to do in order to seal the deal?" I asked. Tranchant looked confused as I pulled out a Pokeball. Without further delay, I threw it at him. Tranchant let out a little scream of surprise at this gesture.

The ball hit the dead Weavile straight in the forehead, and opened up as Tranchant began to turn into light. And just like that, he had entered the Pokeball. It swiveled three times before stopping. I was confused. Wasn't it supposed to click?

Just then, a _woosh_ sound emitted from the Pokeball, and its color slowly turned to a dark purple. I walked over and picked it up, staring at it a moment. I'd done it. Tranchant had sided with me, and I had made my mind up on what I was going to do. From this moment forward, I would cease working for Arceus and take my own path. Of course, I still had to get the others to agree to it… But in that moment, I held Tranchant's ball, containing a being that symbolized Arceus' evil actions. I would find out what's going on, and if need be, I would do anything to make both Arceus and TDA answer for their crimes. I took one last look at the Pokeball.

"You're safe now, Tranchant. I swear I will stop any of this from happening again."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: The Kalosian Revolution is not a perfect mirror of the French Revolution. As such, it is not entirely historically correct.


	26. Wrapping Things Up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I am back. I have finally gotten my issues sorted out irl, so updates should be more regular.
> 
> I present to you the finale of the Kalos Arc, aside from another chapter featuring Chris and Lisa, and a bonus chapter that will be uploaded tomorrow.
> 
> I am also a co author of a new fanfiction, though I am b far the person least contributing. Nonetheless, if you want to read it, here it is.
> 
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/25833970/chapters/62761210
> 
> I have more to say at the bottom so see you there!

The wall of ice that had enclosed us shattered, millions of shards crashing to the ground. I placed Tranchant’s ball into my bag, figuring I’d release him when we had managed to regroup. Immediately, Reshiram and Zekrom rushed to our aid.

“ ** _Marcus! Are you alright?_ ** ” Reshiram asked. I could still feel the bites Tranchant had left on my leg, injuries that very much needed tending to. I showed them to Reshiram, who nodded in understanding. “ ** _Of course._ ** ” She said, quickly beginning to heal my wounds. It hurt of course, but it wasn’t too bad.

“Sammy and Grace probably need to be fixed up as well. They got hit pretty bad.” I added.

“Yeah… Tranchant was quite a handful…” Sammy said. Reshiram nodded and tended to their injuries as well. I looked toward Zekrom, who was tending to Sarah’s wounds.

“How is she?” I asked.

“**_She’s fine, aside from a large gash in her back. Nothing I can’t fix though._**” He said without looking up. “**_The… Servine will be fine as well._**” He added. “_Why did she name him that?_” He muttered under his breath. 

“Well… We lost again.” I said dejectedly.

“ ** _Upsetting as it may be, we needn’t be concerned just yet. Remember, if we manage to beat him in the next region, we can take back the orbs he already stole._ ** ” Reshiram said reassuringly. “ ** _Although… We may need to work on our teamwork. It… was not the best when confronting TDA._ ** ” She added. I tilted my head in confusion.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“ ** _It is true that your Pokemon are able to battle efficiently alone. But we will need them to form group strategies in order to effectively fight a duo with as strong a bond as TDA and Giratina._ ** ” She replied. I nodded. That made sense. I’d have to focus on that in training moving forward. “ ** _In addition… What are we going to do about… Frenc was it?_ ** ” 

As much as I hated to admit it, I had forgotten Frenc existed for a moment. “I think he’s in sort of a cocoon phase. I think we just have to wait for him to develop on his own. He won’t be much use to us now.” I said. Reshiram nodded in understanding. Just then, our conversation was interrupted by an argument coming from the other side of the cave. 

“ ** _We lost mine orb! Pray tell, what are we supposed to do now?_ ** ” Xerneas yelled.

“I-I’m sure Marcus and his group will get it back…” Absalon replied with little confidence. 

“ ** _And thou expects me to trust Marcus!? The fool hath already failed to prevent Kanto and Johto’s orbs from falling into TDA’s filthy hands!_ ** ” Xerneas yelled back. I looked at Reshiram.

“Perhaps we should intervene?” I asked. She nodded.

“ ** _Yes. Xerneas is… known to be temperamental._ ** ” 

We approached the duo. Xerneas saw us out of the corner of her eye and turned to look at us. “ ** _Oh? The fool himself approaches._ ** ” She said with disdain. I didn’t reply. “ ** _And don’t think I didn’t hearest thine blasphemous declaration to stop following Arceus._ ** ” The Life Pokemon turned to Reshiram. “ ** _Reshiram, surely thou does not agree with thine ignorant human’s decision._ ** ” Reshiram shook her head.

“ ** _I agree wholeheartedly._ ** ” She said firmly. Xerneas’ eyes widened in shock.

“ ** _Wha- What treachery! Thou wouldst abandon thine maker based on the petty whims of an inconsequential human?_ ** ” She questioned. Reshiram didn’t seem fazed by this.

“ ** _I would._ ** ” She replied bluntly, her expression unchanging. Xerneas’ antlers began to glow.

“ ** _Must I deal with a traitor?_ ** ” She asked threateningly. Reshiram did not make any moves to defend herself.

“ ** _You need not, because I am not a traitor. Neither of us have openly denounced Arceus. But tell me, in the hundreds of years you have existed, have you never questioned Arceus? Have you ever wondered if Arceus may not be what he says he is? That is what Marcus and I desire to figure out._ ** ” Reshiram replied. Energy began to gather around Xerneas’ antlers.

“ ** _Enough!_ ** ”” She yelled.

“Xerneas, I think they might have a point…” Absalon piped up. Xerneas quickly turned to her human and blasted him with Moonblast. The attack didn’t hit him directly, but the shockwaves sent him onto his back.

“ ** _Cease lecturing me about this sort of thing! Thou art just a human! Arceus’ lowliest creation!_ ** ” She yelled. Reshiram bared her fangs. From across the room, a voice yelled.

“If you hate humans so much, then why’d you adopt Absalon?” The voice of Sarah asked. I looked to see her back on her feet, standing next to Reshiram. Snek was fixed up as well. Xerneas grunted in annoyance.

“ ** _I’ve lacked a human for the longest time, a rarity among Legendaries of my caliber. It is no secret amongst my colleagues that I’ve had reservations about the prospect for centuries. But one day, I found a boy, orphaned and abandoned in mine forest. I am unaware what possessed his parents to leave him in such a place, kilometers from any human settlement._ ** ” Xerneas turned to look at Absalon, who was still on the floor, frozen in fear. “ ** _In this boy, I saw an opportunity. He was young, untainted by the poisonous and toxic lifestyle humans indulge themselves in. I thought I could teach him to be better than those wretches._ ** ” Xerneas looked away and sighed. “ ** _Alas, he did not turn out as I intended. He was always… lacking. But I was stuck with him. Despite all of mine reprimands and teachings, he has not shaped up to be what he must._ ** ”

I cringed slightly. Now that I thought about it, Xerneas was always pretty harsh to Absalon. And Absalon himself was always so meek and quiet. I attributed this to his personality… but living with Xerneas his whole life must have severely warped his self image. And judging by how Xerneas physically attacked her human just now… I didn’t want to know what kinds of things Xerneas considers ‘reprimands’. I didn’t have any time to ponder it further as Xerneas turned back to me.

“ ** _Now then. It is time I dispose of thine human parasite, Reshiram._ ** ” She said, a ball of energy forming between her antlers. She was about to attack, use some insanely powerful move and kill me instantly. But just before she could use it, Reshiram breathed fire at Xerneas, causing her to stumble. After regaining her footing, the Life Pokemon looked at Reshiram, her blue eyes lit up in anger. “ ** _Thou dares strike thine comrade? Thine colleague? Unacceptable! Thou wouldst side with thine human over the Maker of the universe himself? Thou must be disciplined!_ ** ” Xerneas yelled, gathering more energy.

But she was interrupted once again, but not by Reshiram. From beneath Xerneas, spires of rock rose, impaling her in several places. She let out a surprised yell in pain and began to struggle. “ ** _What is the meaning of this!?_ ** ” She yelled. A green trail led from the spires to an all too familiar Pokemon. I was met with the sight of Zygarde, who had reconstituted themself into their fifty percent form. Esmae stood beside them.

“Zygarde and I think that’s enough out of you.” Esmae said to Xerneas. Xerneas gasped in surprise, increasing her struggling.

“ ** _Xerneas unit… Out of line… Beginning reset…_ ** ” Zygarde added. Xerneas began to scream, thrashing around in a desperate attempt to get free.

“What Zygarde means to say is, you have lost your way. To Zygarde and I, order is most important. But balance too is important to us, and we believe that Marcus’ perspective should be considered. Not only that, but you are infringing upon the order Arceus has already established, the order you claim you are trying to protect. You have abused your human, something forbidden amongst Legendary bonds. You have attacked another Legendary for no good reason, and a Legendary higher ranking than you at that.” Esmae said. Green particles began to form around Xerneas.

“ ** _What… is happening… to me?_ ** ” She weakly said.

“We’re resetting you to your sleeping state. You should have plenty of time to think about your actions. Zygarde and I will relegate the cycle of life and death in your and Yveltal’s absence.” Esmae smugly said. The green particles continued to envelop the hapless Pokemon of Life, and her movements began to grow weaker.

“ ** _Please… stop… this…_ ** ” She managed to say as the green particles consumed her, forming a bright, opaque green sphere around her. Slowly, the particles began to settle, and all that was left of where Xerneas stoof was a small, white leafless tree. Esmae walked over and picked it up.

“Sorry about that, guys. Xerneas was always kind of hard to be around, though I didn’t know it was this serious.” They said. “We can’t get rid of her, but this should give her some time to reflect, and give us some time to think of a solution.” Esmae looked toward Absalon, who was standing stock still, afraid to move. “One thing is for certain though. She is never getting another human.” They added grimly. Zygarde shambled over to Absalon.

“ ** _Needs… Reassignment…_ ** ” They mumbled. 

“Oh right. We need to figure out what to do with you.” They mused. “We can’t keep you with us… We’re very busy, and I’m not sure a cave is the best place to raise a child…” They muttered.

“How about we take him?” I asked without even thinking. I quickly realized that taking him would be incredibly dangerous given the stuff we go through… but I couldn’t just leave him. 

“I agree. Let’s take him with us. The more the merrier, am I right?” Sarah added. Esmae seemed to consider this for a moment before responding.

“You know, I’m not sure we have any right to decide where he goes. I think Absalon should choose for himself where he wants to go moving forward, whatever that may be.” With that, we all looked toward Xerneas’ former human and awaited his answer.

“I want to go with Marcus.” He simply stated. We were all taken aback at how quickly he responded, and how sure of himself he seemed.

“If I may ask, what is your reasoning?” Esmae asked.

“Where else am I supposed to go? My only caretaker is a tree, my real parents are probably long dead, and I couldn’t live with you and Zygarde.” Absalon said with a mixture of anger and sadness. But his face quickly bore a small, almost imperceptible smile. “But… Marcus and Reshiram are nice to me. I want to repay them for helping me. And I want to see the world I’ve been kept from. Going with Marcus is the best way for me to achieve that.” He added, a bit more joy in his tone.

Esmae laughed. “So it’s been decided then.” They turned their attention to me. “Well, you all better get going. TDA’s probably on his way to whatever region next. You should probably go chase him. Do you know where he might be headed?” 

“Hoenn. It’s the next tier up when it comes to Legendary importance. It deals with the very world we stand on.” I simply said. Esamed nodded.

“I hope you’re right.” They replied. “Well, it was a pleasure to meet you all. Zygarde and I hope to see you again after this is all over. Now, if you’ll excuse us, we have to deal with the chaos of there no longer being active embodiments of Life and Death.” They said, adding a chuckle at the end. And with that, the pair turned and moved further into the cave. I turned to look at the gathering I had amassed. In front of me stood Sammy, Sarah, Reshiram, Zekrom, Snek, and Absalon.

It was sort of shocking to see that my group had grown so large. This wasn’t even accounting for Grace, Frenc, and Tranchant. I felt like this was a great time to say something, something to raise everyone’s spirits, but I wasn’t sure what to say.

“ ** _Speak from the heart, Marcus. If you do that, I’m sure your message will get across._ ** ” Reshiram said to me telepathically.

“ _ But I don’t know what to say. _ ” I thought back.

“ ** _The most inspiring words are usually said with no forethought. Just say what is on your mind._ ** ” She replied. I mentally nodded and thought for a moment. Just then, I felt a wave of confidence course through me, and so I opened my mouth and spoke.

“Listen, guys. I know TDA defeated us again, but this is far from over. We have changed since Johto. Back then, we hardly knew what we were doing, but now we have a better idea of how TDA and Giratina operate. Not only that, but we have a new sense of purpose. We no longer serve Arceus blindly. We will decide what path we will choose, even if we have to stand against Arceus  _ and _ TDA. We have Tranchant on our side now, a symbol of Arceus’ faults and a reminder that we will stand independent. I promise that we will make it out of this, and whatever world we find ourselves in afterwards, it will be one we will enjoy. Now then, let’s move forward together!” I said, putting my fist up in the air to punctuate that last line. I had no idea where those words came from… they just did, like something deep inside of me had finally managed to articulate what it felt.

Absalon, Sarah, Sammy, and Snek put their fists, or leafy appendage in Snek’s case, into the air and cheered in agreement. Zekrom smiled and nodded approvingly. Reshiram didn’t say anything at first, but when the cheering died down, she spoke.

“ ** _You’ve grown a lot, Marcus. I’m proud to call you my partner._ ** ” She said, smiling fondly. I smiled back. In that moment, with my friends, I felt we could tackle anything. For the first time since my parents were killed and my village was destroyed, I felt like I had a place to belong. Determination and love boiled in my heart, and I wanted nothing more than for us to be safe.

With that, we set out for Hoenn, united with conviction.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And thus another arc closes.
> 
> Looking at things, we are about a third of the way through the story. There are going to be three more arcs of increasing intensity. I'm glad to see this story come along, and even if it doesn't have a lot of readers, I am happy that at least a few people seem to enjoy it. I want to thank everyone who has been following the story from the bottom of my heart.
> 
> Here's to the future!


	27. Special Chapter Two: Bean Bags

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Greetings!
> 
> As promised, here is the bonus chapter, written by my good friend Creativeguy39. I really like this chapter that he wrote, even if it's a little silly. Nonetheless, this chapter is entirely canon.
> 
> I'd like to promote Creativeguy39's story, Just Another Street Rat. It's a nice little story of Eeveelutions and how they get be in their shitty society. It has quite a lot lot of political commentary. Here it is.
> 
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/16299068
> 
> Anyways, enjoy!

The pair entered the Distortion World once again, Giratina beat all to hell and TDA with his heart accelerating and hands trembling. The human of the pair stumbled a little as he once again had to get used to the lack of gravity in the gloomy dimension. Giratina remained in his Origin Forme at all times, and so there was no need for him to do so.

“Holy shit, Giratina…” TDA muttered as what had just happened sunk in. “We actually DID IT! You were ON FIRE in there!”

His draconic companion blinked at the sudden outburst of glee. “ ** _That was by far our closest battle yet. Zygarde had wounded me enough that those two Tao dragons might have been able to finish me off on their own, had we given them the chance._ ** ”

TDA had heard him, but couldn’t respond because of his exasperated laughter. “There were twenty-or-so moments there where I was certain we were done-for! But you just… you… wow!” he stopped to catch his breath a little. “And what’s more, we have three more orbs in our possession, among them the orb of one of the most powerful Legendaries out there: Zygarde!” He let himself tilt backwards, causing him to fall into a horizontal position in the gravityless realm.

Giratina’s posture remained normal. His tentacles were floating limp in the abyss, the Renegade Pokémon being too exhausted to make it otherwise. Their next trek wouldn’t be for a while. “ ** _If I will be honest, even I was impressed with my performance there._ ** ” The Legendary let himself roll over so that his belly was facing up, in a similar posture to his human companion. “ ** _But, I suppose that when you’re the ancient Pokémon from which all matter and antimatter originated, you know a few tricks that younger Legendaries do not._ ** ”

TDA sighed in relief, still proud of his partner’s performance. “I can taste it, Giratina! I can taste it! We only have three regions left to go! We’re at the halfway mark! Soon, the world will be ours!”

“**_Again, TDA, I would like to remind you not to get cocky._**” the dragon chastised. “**_Kyurem shall be a great threat, should it choose to work with those Tao dragons. My siblings are some of the most powerful beings out there, rivalling even myself in strength. In Hoenn, our next destination, we will be dealing with the Weather Trio, all of whom have the potential to overwhelm me in one-on-one combat. We are far from out of the woods, and while the light at the end of the tunnel is visible, it is still distant._**”

“Of course, of course.” TDA conceded. “But I’m just so… it’ll be so  _ satisfying  _ when our perfect, just world has finally been made, wouldn’t you say?”

“ ** _I never said anything to the contrary._ ** ” His Legendary pointed out.

TDA tilted his head up so that he was looking at an upside-down Giratina with his own upside-down head, making the dragon look upright. “Tell me something.” he spoke. “After we’ve made our world, what’s the first thing you’re going to do?”

Giratina’s eyes narrowed as he looked straight up into the endless purple void. “ ** _I think… I think…_ ** ”

“Well?” his human encouraged. Giratina tilted his head to make eye contact with him.

“ ** _Firstly, there is something you must understand. As the embodiment of matter, antimatter, and gravity, I once possessed the ability to make particles at will. Protons, electrons, neutrons, positrons, whole atoms, anything. Why, under Arceus’ authoritative gaze, I shaped the cosmos and galaxies of this universe._ ** ”

“Alright…” TDA uttered. Much of this he already knew.

The draconic Legendary continued, “ ** _However, at the time of my banishment, I had this ability taken away from me. I can still make matter cease to exist temporarily, as I demonstrated with those Zygarde cells, and as I take advantage of whenever I use Shadow Force, but I can no longer make new particles. That ability is now monopolized by Arceus._ ** ”

Anger flared in TDA. So his partner didn’t even have all of his original power. “What does this have to do with the question?” he asked.

“ ** _So therefore…_ ** ” Giratina began, “ ** _once the new world is made, the first thing I will do is materialize a bean bag for myself. The reason for this exposition was so that you would understand why I don’t just do that now, being the embodiment of matter._ ** ”

“Oh.” TDA said simply, quite surprised by the simplicity of his partner’s answer. “Why a bean bag?”

“ ** _Well…_ ** ” Giratina flipped himself over again so that he could get a better look at TDA, in order to talk to him better. “ ** _There are many types of sitting devices. The first one that likely comes to mind is the chair, the most common of them, made by humans all the time. However, personally, I harbour a rather powerful disdain for the chair._ ** ”

TDA looked up at him, confused. “Why wouldn’t you like chairs? They’re just… well, chairs.” This statement, for whatever reason, made Giratina shake his head slowly.

“ ** _That’s just what an uninformed biped would say._ ** ” His tone sounded disappointed. “ ** _For you see, a chair is rather difficult for anything with more than two legs to make use of. A small enough quadruped can lay in it, yes, but it’s a device for sitting, not laying! And legless Pokémon such as myself have it the worst when it comes to chairs. There is no position that we can take within a chair that assures both comfort and the ability to properly partake in any conversations that may be taking place at the time. In other words, chairs are the product of a civilization by humans, and for humans. They are too discriminant against those with other limb counts, such as myself, to have any place in our world. The very fact that Arceus, a quadruped himself, has allowed chairs to rise to such a dominant role in human society is disgusting._ ** ”

TDA floated there, dumbstruck by the sheer amount and absurdity of the information he was hearing. Well… could he really call it absurd? Giratina’s logic made perfect sense, after all. Hesitantly, he asked, “So, beanbags are the solution, then?”

The dragon nodded. “ ** _Indeed. I could go over other sitting devices, such as the stool and the bed, but all of them ultimately have their own flaws that limit their ability to be used by Pokémon of all shapes and sizes. All, that is, except the bean bag._ ** ” The ancient Pokémon took some time to dreamily imagine the object in question. “ ** _Bean bags are adaptable. They have no set structure. Their user can manipulate and mold them as they desire. Even a bean bag that has been used by another can be rearranged to accomodate a new user with ease. Not only that, but they are easily more comfortable than a chair, or just about any other sitting device. Bean bags are, simply put, the closest that any sitting device will ever get to becoming divine._ ** ”

TDA was speechless. He didn’t understand, and yet he understood perfectly. “And so, in our new world, you want bean bags to take the place of chairs?”

His partner nodded once again. “ ** _That is also correct. Of course, it won’t be enshrined in law. Biped families may still have chairs in their homes if they wish, and we will not punish anyone for their preferences. However, I do intend to have bean bags as the preferred, one-size-fits-all sitting device, used in all public areas such as restaurants, waiting rooms, and parks._ ** ”

TDA smiled lightly after Giratina finished. “You know what, Giratina? Thank you for enlightening me. I had always taken the comfort of chairs for granted because I’m a human, and I’m grateful that you’ve shown me the truth.”

Giratina smiled as well, or at least did the closest he could, given his visage. “ ** _It is but another wrong that we shall right once Arceus’ kingdom has been replaced._ ** ”

“Yes, with our perfect world!” TDA exclaimed, turning himself back upright as well. “Though, can I ask for one favour?”

“ ** _Yes, TDA?_ ** ” Giratina asked.

“When the perfect world is made, can you make two beanbags? One for you, one for me?”

  
“ ** _Of course, TDA. Of course._ ** ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's that.
> 
> Join me next time for another peek at how Chris and Lisa are doing.


	28. Awakening

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another side, another story.
> 
> In a time not too long ago.
> 
> What have Chris and Lisa been up to?

_ Well, it had certainly been an eventful month. _

_ Per the LPC’s orders, Lisa and I had gone to Hoenn along with a few other members to deal with Team Aqua and Team Magma. It started out with gathering intel, having some members infiltrate the ranks and gather some basic information about both Team’s activities. By the time Lisa and I arrived on the scene, we were informed that they were planning on awakening Groudon and Kyogre, an event that would be disastrous for the world. _

_ Since neither Lisa nor I had any Pokemon to call our own, the LPC supplied us with one each. Lisa was given a Persian and I was given an Absol. If the Pokemon liked us enough after the mission was over, we could keep them. As I’ve said, I’ve never had a Pokemon of my own, so it was an… interesting experience. I didn’t know how to command them effectively, so we weren’t able to get much done in the way of battling. But we got along rather well otherwise, so the LPC decided I could keep the Absol. I named her Lisa. _

_ Anyways, the LPC decided after gathering some intel that it was best to storm their major bases. Lisa, I, and a few others were sent to Team Aqua’s base in Lilycove City. We had to head out to sea a ways before reaching the hideout, but it wasn’t too much trouble. No wonder nobody found it though; it looked like any unassuming cave jutting out of the sea. Turns out it was a whole underground base. _

_ We entered, apprehended several members of Team Aqua, including two admins, individuals by the names of Matt and Shelly. We downloaded a few terabytes of data and found some documents of interest, but the main artifact we came for, The Blue Orb, was nowhere to be found. After some interrogation, we found out that Team Leader Archie had taken it and was on his way to awaken Kyogre at Seafloor Cavern. Needless to say, we speeded out of there immediately. _

_ Our team leader radioed the other team, the one sent to Team Magma’s base, and asked for their status. Turns out, they were in a similar situation to ours and were speeding to Seafloor cavern. We decided to join up and attempt to stop the awakening as one group. _

_ When we finally arrived on the scene, we were far too late. Groudon and Kyogre were already awakened and rampaging, their billions of years of hatred boiling over. Atop of the two Pokemon, I saw two humans, one on each Legendary. Upon Groudon stood a dark skinned, curly brown haired lady, and atop Kyogre stood a light skinned girl with lighter brown hair. The darker skinned person seemed to be yelling at the other, but she didn’t seem to hear the insults hurled toward her, maintaining a calm but collected scowl. Seemingly realizing the futility of trying to faze the Kyogre girl, the Groudon woman simply flipped her off and began to talk to Groudon. I couldn’t hear what they were saying though. _

_ The hopelessness of the situation began to set in. There was no way we could hope to stop two deities several orders of magnitude older and stronger than any human and most Pokemon. Nothing could calm the burning hatred between these gods. Nothing… except… _

_ “Rayquaza!” Lisa yelled suddenly, finishing my thought. “We have to call on Rayquaza! He’s the only one who can stop this!” She added. _

_ “She’s right.” I replied. “Can someone get us to Sky Pillar? We can call upon Rayquaza there!” I asked. The team leader pointed at someone. _

_ “You! Get on the boat and take them to Sky Pillar!” He barked. The man he pointed to nodded sheepishly and rushed to the boat. The leader looked back at us. “I hope you two know what you are doing.” He said somewhat aggressively. Lisa nodded. _

_ “Don’t worry. You won’t be disappointed.” She reassured. Then, she grabbed my arm and we raced off to the boat. _

_ The boat ride was harrowing. For around an hour we raced across the ocean at top speed, the bellows and cries of Groudon and Kyogre echoing in the distance. The weather alternated between blistering heat from a clear sky to dark storm clouds pouring down an endless deluge of water. I really hoped this would work. _

_ When we finally arrived at Sky Pillar, we wasted no time in bolting up the ancient structure. From the windows and openings, I could glimpse that the situation was worsening and the weather was alternating more rapidly. Groudon and Kyogre were equal in strength, and thus could never best each other. Unless we did something, they would wage their battle until the planet destroyed itself. Eventually, we reached the top. _

_ “The scripture states that Rayquaza will come if we pray to him here.” I said. Lisa nodded and we knelt down under the open sky. With all of our might, we prayed for Rayquaza to come and save us. As we prayed, I could feel the collective desire of everyone across the world praying for the same thing. I was sure Lisa could feel it too. _

_ For a moment, I was worried we weren’t doing something right. But then, we heard a roar in the distance. We opened our eyes and saw the shape of Rayquaza among the clouds, quickly moving for us. Lisa and I grinned. We were about to be saved. _

_ Rayquaza arrived and rested near us. It was then that we noticed a human on top of him. He had short jet black hair, which was slightly messy. He had light skin, yellow eyes, and a few large scars on his face. He was also dressed in a fancy green suit, with a red tie and white undershirt, with a green emblem emblazoned with the initials YA. He grinned at us and jumped off of Rayquaza. _

_ “Heya!” He greeted. “We heard your prayers. Seems like things have gotten pretty bad out there, eh?” He added. I opened my mouth to speak, but he put a hand up to stop me. “No need to introduce yourselves. We won’t be together for very long and I doubt we will ever meet again. However, for your convenience, I’m Yin Ao, Rayquaza’s buddy.” He replied. “Get on, we have no time!” He ordered. We hastily obeyed and mounted Rayquaza. _

_ From the top of Sky Pillar, we soared into the air, moving at speeds much faster than when we were on the boat. I had to grip Rayquaza with all of my might in order to not fall off, and I checked behind me regularly to make sure Lisa was ok. She didn’t seem to be distressed at all though. _

_ Eventually, we arrived back at Seafloor Cavern, where the situation had worsened by a lot. Somehow, in the time we were gone, Groudon and Kyogre had both activated their more powerful, much larger Primal forms. Both of the humans that accompanied them were now on the ground, both bloody and fighting. Kyogre’s human was on top of Groudon’s, beating down on her with her fists. But Groudon’s human was also kicking and punching and even managed to get on top of her assailant. I averted my eyes, unable to look at it any longer.  _

_ Yin Ao sighed and shook his head. “Those four… Why are they always like this?” He patted Rayquaza on the head. “You know what to do, buddy.” He said. Rayquaza huffed in understanding and let out a mighty roar, loud enough to shake the ground. Instantly, Groudon, Kyogre, and their humans stopped fighting and looked toward the source of the roar, as did the members of our team that stayed behind. _

_ “ _ ** _Are you imbeciles still at it?_ ** _ ” Rayquaza yelled. “ _ ** _When will the four of you put your petty struggle aside? Can’t you see how pointless it is? How damaging it is to the very world you helped forge? Now, return to your slumbers, and don’t ever let me see the four of you fighting ever again!_ ** _ ” He added. Nobody moved for a moment, everyone still staring at Rayquaza. Groudon and Kyogre seemed to stand defiant while their humans simply stared, awestruck. _

_ Rayquaza growled loudly, energy swirling around him and eventually enveloping him. When the glowing energy cleared up, we all beheld a much bigger, more ferocious looking Rayquaza. I… I could feel the power emanating from him even while he was so high up in the sky. His presence was so oppressing, I could barely stand. _

_ “ _ ** _NOW!_ ** _ ” He yelled, shaking the ground once more and causing several strikes of lightning. Immediately, Groudon and Kyogre donned expressions of fear and rushed to retrieve their humans, who were quick to mount their respective legendaries. The four of them quickly disappeared into Seafloor Cavern, returning to their slumber. _

_ And just like that, the weather returned to a normal cloudy sky, and all the chaos that was present mere moments ago was gone. Rayquaza lowered himself to the ground and dropped us off. Yin Ao gave a quick smile and a peace sign before he and Rayquaza departed for the skies, and just like that, they were gone too. _

_ The aftermath of the whole ordeal was quite difficult to sort out. Apparently, Archie and Maxie, as well as anyone they brought with them, perished soon after Groudon and Kyogre woke up. With their leaders dead and any potential successors apprehended, as well as the abundantly clear danger in awakening either Legendary, both Team Aqua and Team Magma disbanded shortly afterward. _

_ As Lisa and I were crucial in averting the situation from getting any worse, we were both lauded by the LPC and its members. They even gave us medals. Needless to say, we were promoted to higher rankings. I thought it was a little much to promote us, considering anyone could have figured out to summon Rayquaza. In either case, I wasn’t complaining. _

_ The death toll numbered in at least the thousands, most of the casualties being in coastal areas as a result of Kygore’s flooding, though there were also a lot of casualties in areas with close proximity to volcanoes, due to Groudon.. I felt bad that we couldn’t have saved those people, but I couldn’t let it get to me. Things could have gone a lot worse. _

_ But, I was satisfied with how things turned out. Our first mission had been a success and… I actually got to see Groudon and Kyogre up close! I even got to ride on Rayquaza! If only I wasn’t too terrified from the cataclysmic battle, I might have enjoyed it more in the moment. The raw power I could feel just by being near these… these gods. It was intoxicating. Only time will tell what Lisa and I may face in the future. _

_ Let us hope it is something even grander. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that is the end of the Kalos arc.
> 
> I sincerely hope you enjoyed it! Tranchant was probably my favorite thing to write about this arc, and he was really fun to write. But I have big plans for the next arc, which will be in Hoenn. I can't say how long it will be, but I will try to wrap it up faster than I did Kalos.
> 
> Sorry for the short A/N, it's late over here and I am tired.


	29. A New Region

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, so sorry for the absence.
> 
> Between the election, midterms, and the last few Kalos chapters taking stuff out of me, I needed a bit of a break.
> 
> But, now I am back and ready to start the next arc. I've got some interesting things planned that I hope you will enjoy.

Now, both of my parents had perished in the flames and my tiny mind could barely comprehend that it had happened. Not only that, but my hometown was nothing but ashes. Everyone I’d ever known was either burnt to a crisp or bruised under smoldering rubble.

Miraculously, I was the only survivor. Some members of the Aether Foundation had come in response to the situation. Things looked grim, as almost nothing in my town could be salvaged… except for me. 

I spent the next few months in an Aether Foundation facility, where I was provided with food and water and other comforts while they tried to find some foster home to take me in. They did all sorts of physical and mental health checks, since there was no way they were getting any information on me, given that I lived in an unknown town that now had its ashes scattered by the wind all over Unova. 

The incident was ruled as a Pokemon attack, likely that of a Charizard or other fire breathing Pokemon, and it was simply left at that. Pokemon could often get pretty temperamental, and it’s not like they could do anything about whatever attacked my town.

After around half a year, I was finally put in a foster home in Nimbasa City. And so the next few years of my life were in chaos as I tried to adapt to my new circumstances. I grieved, cried, screamed into my pillow at night, and so on. I managed to find some solace in the Legendaries. I became absolutely infatuated with them and wanted to learn all there was to know about them. I suppose that they were a sort of light in the darkness that it rugged through after my village burned down.

Eventually, I mellowed out. Sometime during my teenage years, I left the foster home, then spent the next few years surviving off of minimum wage jobs. And then that fateful day came where I met Reshiram.

And the rest, as they say, is history.

…

Another day, another hotel. Sarah was basically keeping us afloat since she was the only one with any money, but now she had to pay for three people, so we had to settle for a cheaper hotel than usual.

But I suppose I can’t complain too much. Mauville City was a really popular tourist destination, being the largest city in a region so close to the ocean. At least we were able to get a place to stay for a bit while we assessed our options.

Our first move was to continue training our Pokemon, and to see how powerful Tranchant was. To make a long story short, Sammy and Grace were the only ones who could really contend with him. Snek was simply at too great a disadvantage type wise, and Frenc was still a cocoon. But even with the power Giratina gave him gone, Tranchant was still able to put up a decent fight against Reshiram and Zekrom.

“I did a lot of training when I was part of the revolution. Learned everything I know from Jacques. Let’s just say there’s a reason he was the leader of our group.” Tranchant told me when I asked where he learned his skills. Needless to say, Tranchant would be a great help.

Sammy… Or I guess I should start calling him Sam now. He asked me a few days ago to start calling him that. He said he wanted a more mature name to show how he’s grown, and I was more than happy to agree. Aside from a slip of the tongue sometimes, I think most of us have adjusted well to his new name.

Absalon has been in much higher spirits since we took him in. He’s been a lot more excitable, and speaks his mind more often, a stark contrast to what he was like under Xerneas. He offered to be Frenc’s caretaker, a position I was glad to give him. Contrary to what one might think, taking care of him is hard. I have to let him bask in the sun when he wants too, and make sure he isn’t outside for too long. I have to make sure he’s comfortable in my bag, considering he rides around in it all day. Despite being pretty quiet normally, Frenc is quite picky. Given the amount of things I have to keep track of as is, having someone else take care of him is a load off my chest.

In addition… I’ve noticed that my personality has changed from when we first started this journey. I’ve noticed that I’ve become a much better leader. When Sarah first met me, I’m sure she thought I was weak spined, and I couldn’t argue with her on that. But now, even she seems to be inspired by me. Even Reshiram seems surprised at my growth. In training, we’ve been able to synchronize more… Come to think of it, I might want to ask Sarah for tips on fusing. That would help us greatly.

As to what caused this change, I think the final events in Kalos had a lot to do with it. Deciding to face Tranchant head on was certainly a brave move considering how powerful he was, and standing up to Xerneas seemed like suicide. Yet we did so anyway, and took in Tranchant and Absalon. More than anything, I think deciding not to side with Arceus anymore was the main factor. Even though I’m not necessarily against him, deciding to defect from the side of the literal creator of the universe is a bold move… I still wonder what made TDA declare this war against the gods.

In either case, we were determined to learn from the mistake we made in Kalos. We wouldn’t be going for one specific Legendary. Sarah suggested we split up, but I countered that doing so would be spreading ourselves too thin, giving TDA an easier time taking care of us. He’s already shown he’s more than capable of taking both Sarah and I on at the same time. But what else could we do? I racked my brain for days trying to figure something out. If only we had some extra help…

And then, one night, our prayers were answered, when an often forgotten pair of deities visited us.

…

In another world, a human and a draconic, serpentine god floated around, formulating their next plan.

“How shall we go about our approach with Hoenn?” The deity, Giratina, asked. His human companion was quick to deliver his response.

“Well, quite a few Legendaries there have no humans. In fact, only Groudon, Kyogre, and Rayquaza do. The Regis have orbs, but the fact that they have no humans means they should be easy to take out. We’ll start with them.” TDA said. Giratina nodded, following along. “As for the Lati Twins, they have no orbs, so we won’t be actively seeking them out. However, they viciously protect the Hoenn region and will likely try looking for us. If the situation warrants it, we should fight them, perhaps even kill them if necessary. I would hate to do that though. They’re beautiful creatures and I’m sure they only obey Arceus out of not knowing any better. Hmmm… Scratch that. Before we try attacking them, let’s see if we might persuade them.” He added.

“Noted. With Tranchant’s defection, we could use some extra help. Since he’s still out of the Wall, I can’t pull anyone else out. Are you sure you don’t want me to put him back in?”

“No, of course not. I don’t think I’d be able to sleep at night if I made the call to return someone to eternal suffering. If we’re able to succeed in our goals, we might be able to persuade him back to our side. His ideals clearly align with our own.” TDA responded. Giratina simply nodded.

“I can abide by that.”

“In any case, Jirachi isn’t an actual Legendary, or even a singular individual. They are actually creations that directly serve Arceus, carrying out smaller jobs that he doesn’t want to do. We won’t need to worry about them. And as much as people like to claim Deoxys is a Legendary, he is actually nothing more than an exceptionally powerful extraterrestrial Pokemon. The instance in Hoenn likely doesn’t even know we exist, and likely wouldn’t care anyway. Our biggest threat is the Weather Trio. Their power is no laughing matter.”

Memories came to Giratina of the Weather Trio’s power. “I beheld their shaping of the world. Indeed, we should be very careful. Their Primal and Mega forms may prove especially problematic.”

“We should be especially careful if their humans decide to fuse with them. However, Groudon and Kyogre, as well as their humans, hate each other more than anything else. Perhaps we could lure Groudon and Kyogre into a fight, take out Rayquaza, then take them out once they’ve weakened each other.”

“Sounds like a plan. Anything else?”

“Nope.” TDA simply said. “Let’s show Hoenn what we’re made of.” Giratina chuckled.

“I couldn’t agree more.”

…

Meanwhile, strong emotions were brewing upstairs. Of course, by upstairs we mean the Hall of Origin.

Arceus paced around his throne room anxiously. Things had not been going well. TDA and Giratina had gathered the orbs of Kanto, Johto, and Kalos, and they were already beginning to move into Hoenn. At this rate, they’d be on his doorstep within weeks. Various Mew and Victini attendants circled him, concerned as to why he was acting so anxious. However, the presence of these little high pitched Pokemon was doing nothing to assuage his anxieties.

“Go!” The Alpha Pokemon yelled in frustration. All at once, his attendants fled, scared of their master’s wrath. Arceus stomped his two front legs in anger.

“Calm yourself, Arceus.” A feminine voice advised. Arceus stopped himself before he flew into a deeper rage. “Weren’t you just hoping earlier that you would get to reunite with Giratina? I believe you said something along the lines of ‘I look forward to our reunion, my son’, or something like that. Why the sudden change in attitude? Are you perhaps… afraid?” The voice asked.

“No… I am merely apprehensive. I have not seen Giratina in billions of years. Besides, he is carrying with him… rather troubling company.” Arceus replied.

“TDA is not troubling. Even if he is causing harm, he believes he is doing the right thing.”

“He is trampling upon my design! He is rebelling against the order I have kept in place for fourteen billion years! Calling him troubling is an understatement!”

“What are you going to do? Throw him into the wall like all the others? Or do you intend to destroy his soul? If you want to stop people like him from thinking you’re a tyrannical control freak, perhaps you should stop giving them reasons to believe so.”

“What do you know? You were human once upon a time! I have existed long before you came out of your mother screaming and crying into my creation! I am a deity and your experience pales in comparison to what I have seen! So don’t lecture me about how to run things!” Arceus yelled, frustrated.

“There’s the Arceus I know. Calm, collected, and reserved to an outsider, but to someone who knows you, you act significantly more human. Can’t you admit you have flaws? Could you at least take that advice from me, your own human?”

“You know very well you aren’t quite human anymore. But… I suppose you have a point.”

“Now we’re getting somewhere. I want to reiterate I am not on TDA’s side. I am on yours. But we have some serious issues we need to address regarding how you run things. I think listening to their grievances might help.”

“Now that, I can’t agree with. TDA and Giratina do not know the complexities of the world I run. I banished Giratina for a reason, because he was a threat, and his alliance with that human only proves my point. I can not allow these two to disrupt this world that I have created for everyone.” Arceus turned around and began to walk out of the room.

“If those two find themselves at my doorstep, I will send them crawling back to the Distortion World.” The feminine voice chuckled a bit.

“That attitude might bite you in the ass later. But I’m not opposed to confronting the two myself. I have some choice words for TDA in particular. Still though, I wish you would be more compassionate.”

And with that, the disembodied voice followed Arceus out of the room, both of them waiting to see what the future will bring.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The plot thickens.
> 
> See you all soon :).


End file.
